


i stayed in the darkness (with you)

by Bootsncatz (bootsncatz)



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Agoraphobia, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Nicole smokes behind a church, Rival CEOs, Soulmates, Waverly is agoraphobic, Wayhaught - Freeform, because why not, canon adjacent, it gets sexy in chapter 7, it gets weird, serial killer Nicole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:03:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 93,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bootsncatz/pseuds/Bootsncatz
Summary: Waverly has only met Nicole once. So why does she keep showing up in her dreams? Why can't she stop thinking about her? And why the hell is she in a coma?Wayhaught is endgame in every universe. AKA ANOTHER Wayhaught Soulmates AU that no one wanted.***“So...you’ve had other dreams about me?” Nicole asked with a hint of a smirk tilting her lips.Waverly blushed and rolled her eyes. This new verbal Dream Nicole was much more interesting than her other iterations. Still. “You in my other dreams was not half this cocky.”“It’s just a question,” Nicole said, smile still present, turning her head to look at Waverly. Brown eyes darted over Waverly’s body and they both blushed. “And were we dressed like this in all of them?”





	1. can't get you out of my head

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again everyone! 
> 
> Welcome to my new adventure. I know I said I was nervous about posting "Why'd You Come in Here"...but I'm extra nervous about posting this one. I have been cooking this idea in my head for quite some time but it's weird. I always said I wouldn't do a Soulmates AU because there's so many amazing ones out there but this idea just spoke to me. Thanks to CT (Fox_trot35) and Tambi (TresWayhaught) for shoving this prompt in my face and telling me to write it. It really took a life of it's own.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Waiting. 

That’s how Waverly Earp would describe her life. 

Just...waiting. 

It was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain, that she had felt since she could remember. 

Mama left one day and never came back. She had kissed Waverly on the forehead and gave her a wink as she walked out the door but never returned. Waverly wasn’t sure how long she waited by the window for her Mama’s truck to pull up to the Homestead. But it was only as long as Wynonna would let her. 

She never stopped waiting though. Waiting. Always waiting. 

Then after Wynonna was sent away, she repeated the same routine. Waiting near the window for her sister to come swaggering up the driveway. 

Even when she realized that Wynonna wasn’t coming back anytime soon, she was still waiting. It became one of the things that Waverly knew she was good at. She was patient to a fault, and she spent the rest of her life just...waiting. 

Waiting to fill out sweaters like the rest of the girls in her class so they had one less thing to make fun of her for. Waiting for her chance to prove herself as an Earp. Waiting for Champ to grow up and become husband material. Still waiting for Wynonna to come home. 

Then suddenly there was...nothing. Wynonna was back, Champ was out of the picture and her boobs had almost gotten _too_ big. But the overwhelming feeling of waiting just...never left. 

Sometimes Waverly would sit at her window waiting for...nothing. What could she possibly be missing? She had a family, albeit cursed, but in spite of that her life was pretty good. Well...sorta. Her paternity was still a big question mark. 

Often she would find herself at Shorty’s, staring at the door before they were even open. She remembered distinctly when she realized something was off. 

It was Waverly’s typical shift at Shorty’s. Wynonna was still new in town and Champ was still following her like a puppy. The beer tap got stuck and soaked her shirt to the point it was practically transparent. Her eyes immediately drifted to the door, hairs raising on the back of her neck but...the door remained shut. 

Waverly’s heart skipped a beat, disappointment settling deep in her stomach. But she had no idea _why_. She shook it off as deja vu and changed her shirt before the first customers of the day could roll in. 

But not before satisfying her sudden unexplainable craving for a cappuccino. 

***

Nicole didn’t hate her life. 

It wasn’t great. But it wasn’t bad. 

She couldn’t complain when the worst thing that had happened to her was her parents’ inevitable rejection of her sexuality. 

Nicole always knew it was coming. How couldn’t she? Church every week since she was born, bible camp every summer, saying grace before every meal. The moment she looked a little too long at another girl while changing for PE, Nicole knew she was done for. 

Things suddenly seemed to click into place. Her distaste for the frilly dresses her mother always shoved her in until she relented and let Nicole wear the T-shirt and jeans she craved, the way she would always try to play sports with the boys instead of dolls with the girls...it all made sense. 

She was seven and she knew she was in trouble. Nicole didn’t know the word for it. The most she had heard about homosexuality was the vague whisperings and snide comments made while watching The Ellen Show with her family before they clicked it off and never explained why. One time a boy at school was chastised after calling a girl gay. She went running to the teacher in tears and Nicole sat on the bench and listened as the teacher stated explicitly: “We don’t use that word. It’s a bad word.”

All she knew about the word gay was to not talk about it. 

Nicole knew she was _different_ but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She didn’t think it was odd when she got a warm feeling low in her belly when watching cheerleaders during her dad’s sports games. Or when she watched a princess movie and related more with the prince than with the princess. She didn't think it was weird until...she realized it wasn’t what the other girls felt.

When she was twelve she ripped pictured of the “cute boys” out of some stupid teen magazine and hung them up on her wall. White tape clinging to the painted walls in an attempt to keep the pictures in place. They didn’t last more than a night. She could hardly sleep that night with the teen heartthrobs staring at her. The next morning she ripped them all down. This wasn’t for her. And she didn’t know why but she was ashamed.

Her entire life became about hiding after that. Hiding who she really was from her parents and schoolmates. Until high school came and she just couldn’t hide any longer. Her parents denied it. Of course. But they could only deny if for so long. 

After her parents kicked her out, Nicole joined the police academy. The one thing that she kept from her years of a conservative upbringing was her desire to be a cop. A lawmaker. The same dream she’d had since she was five.

The little allowance she got from the academy went into her rent and it was fine. Everything was just fine.

So she couldn’t figure out why she was always scanning the notices at work for job postings. One time her eyes lingered on a posting for somewhere called Purgatory. It wasn’t hard for the name to catch someone’s eye. After all, what kind of town was named _Purgatory_? Some unseen force drew to the listing until she found herself looking at it every day at work during her lunch. Like something was pulling her to apply. 

It was also around that time that her ranking officer told Nicole that she had vacation days saved up and should take a break. Go on a rock climbing trip. Then she met Shae, got married twenty-four hours later and that little job listing in Purgatory was far from her mind.

It wasn’t until almost a year later when her divorce was nearly final that she started looking at job postings again. That little town popped up again. Purgatory. It seemed too unlikely to be a coincidence. She could feel a pull, somewhere deep in her mind. In her _heart_. Something that was telling her to leave her past behind and find her future someplace else. Someplace far away that she would never imagine herself living. 

So she applied.

***

Nicole stuffed the last quarter of her donut in her mouth and chewed it. She frowned; the edges felt slightly stale. She hoped she had just eaten the donut from this morning and not yesterday. She decided not to check.

She drained the last remaining drops of her cappuccino and glanced down at her phone. She only got a short look at the map when a battery symbol came up indicating it needed to be charged. 

Groaning in frustration, Nicole tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and thought about how thankful she was that there only seemed to be one road into town. Purgatory. What a name. When she saw the job opening listed, she almost thought it was a joke. Even now it was hard to believe the whole thing was real. But something deep in the pit of her chest told her this was it. 

Something that felt a hell of a lot like fate. If she believed in that kinda thing.

Looking in the backseat at CJ in her carrier, staring out the side, she started humming absently before stopping herself. 

“Oh, god, this song,” Nicole sighed as she crossed past the “Welcome to Purgatory” sign.

_Yeah, something inside me's changed._

“Why is this even in my head?” she asked herself, rubbing her palm over her ear as if it would help get the song from her head. It was an awful song. She wondered where she’d heard it lately since she knew there was no way it was on her perfectly curated playlists on her phone. 

She turned up the radio in her car, hoping to drown the song out of her head. But the lyrics still ran through her head, even over the radio.

_I was so much younger yesterday, yeah-_

***

“ _-so much younger yesterday, oh, yeah_ ,” Waverly sang as she danced through Shorty’s with two drinks in her hand. She saddled up to Wynonna who was playing pool and set one of the drinks on the ledge.

“You already have the best sister award, Waves. With the whole not being Willa and all. You don’t have to work so hard for my attention,” Wynonna said tipping the drink towards Waverly with a wink.

“A simple thank you would suffice for once,” she smiled, “And you’re welcome.”

Waverly picked up her pool cue and surveyed the table. As she walked around it, drink in hand, she kept humming the song she’d been singing earlier.

“Ugh, that song?” Wynonna scoffed, “I thought you had better taste than that, baby girl. Though...I guess you did date Champ Hardy.”

Waverly made her shot and threw Wynonna a look as she stood up, “Ha ha, Wynonna. I got over him, you should too.”

“What am I here for if not to point out all your past boy mistakes?” Wynonna said with a sweet smile and a bat of her eyelashes. 

Waverly just hummed and watched as Wynonna’s shot bounced off the side and sank the eight ball. 

“Shit.”

“Maybe you should spend more time focusing on the game and less on my love life,” Waverly said with a smirk before realization caused it to fall. “Or...lack thereof.”

Waverly heard the door open and glanced over to see a new face walking into the bar. A tall woman with shoulder length red hair peeking out from under her beanie surveyed the room with sharp brown eyes before landing back at the bar. Waverly felt her stomach warm when the woman’s eyes flickered over her own a second too long but Wynonna nudging her with the end of her pool stick quickly pulled her from the moment. 

“What?”

“Hurry up, make your move,” Wynonna said before taking a long sip of her drink. Waverly blushed at the double entendre behind the words but said nothing. “We don’t have all day here.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Places.”

“Like where?”

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “Like...maybe there’s a demon that’s going to pop up at any second. We don’t know.”

Waverly shot her sister a look and casually looked back over to the bar as she bent to take her shot. The woman was talking to Rosita, a smile on her face as she nodded like she was taking in whatever Rosita was saying. It was an easy shot, a direct hit into the corner pocket. But as Waverly was about to take it, she felt her instincts pull her eyes back to the woman at the bar and found her looking back with a small smile. The shot went wild, bouncing off the side and the ball spun to a stop along the edge of the pool table.

Wynonna barked out a laugh a Waverly stood up, blush on her cheeks. “Baby girl, did you have a stroke?”

“No,” Waverly said pushing some hair behind her ear and draining her drink until the ice hit her top lip. The woman was back to talking to Rosita and Waverly watched her closely. Something about her...made Waverly stop. But she couldn’t quite tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She was certainly attractive, but Waverly had seen her fair share of weird things around these parts so she knew better than to trust a pretty face...or smile...or dimples...or _balls_ that jaw line. 

Waverly cleared her throat and picked up her glass. “I’m going to get another drink.”

“Lush,” Wynonna deadpanned as she finished off her third drink in a half hour. Waverly just ignored her and headed casually over to the bar. At least as casually as she could while not trying to be obvious that she was trying to get a read on the stranger. She moved behind the bar and began to fill her glass again, going to the bucket behind Rosita and refreshing her ice.

Rosita barely noticed her, moving to the other side of the bar to help a new customer and leaving the mysterious woman alone, still leaning on the bar with her elbows. Waverly glanced over at her, only half surprised to see the woman looking at her.

“Hey, can I help you with anything?” Waverly asked with her signature ‘friendly’ smile. The one that always got people talking even if it seemed they didn’t want to. “You look a bit lost.”

The woman blinked in surprise for a moment before giving her a crooked smile that made heat creep up Waverly’s neck. 

“Why do I look lost?” she asked, tilting her head like a puppy.

Waverly shrugged. “Well you’re in a bar without a drink for one,” she said.

The woman laughed and nodded. “I suppose you have a point. I was just trying to get some directions. My...phone died. Rosita was helping me.”

“Passing through?” Waverly asked, trying to get a read on the woman as she leaned on the bar herself. _Demon? Or completely normal person I shouldn’t stalk?_ she thought.

“No, I’m moving here,” the redhead said. “Just got a job at the Sheriff Department.”

“Oh, I work there too!” Waverly said before squinting. “I mean...kinda. Anyways, I’m Waverly. Waverly Earp.”

She held out her hand and the other woman took it easily, and Waverly felt the world fade around them. A blush rose steadily in her cheeks and electricity shot between their palms. Her mind was trying to process what was happening, but all she could focus on was red hair and brown eyes. It felt like the world had shifted under her feet and if Waverly let go of the woman’s hand she might be lost forever.

“I’m Nicole Haught,” she said with that easy smile Waverly could see herself getting addicted to.

“Welcome to Purgatory,” Waverly said, their hands still connected.

Nicole’s smile got even wider and she squeezed Waverly’s hand briefly. “Yeah I...have the feeling I’m going to like it here.”

A thrill heated up Waverly’s belly, low and strong so she dropped Nicole’s hand. Brown eyes held hazel a little longer than just being friendly and Nicole straightened up from the bar.

“Well I...think I know where I’m going,” Nicole said tapping on the bar with her fingers. “I’ll see you around, Waverly?”

“Yeah,” Waverly said without thinking. “I’ll see you around.”

Nicole smiled widely, dimples deepening on her cheeks as she took a few steps back from the bar. She tipped an imaginary hat in Waverly’s direction before turning around, and she swore butterflies took flight in her stomach.

She tried to clamp down the smile on her face, biting her lip between her teeth as she turned back around. Rosita was looking at the glass she was wiping but had a knowing smile on her face as she bumped Waverly’s hip with her own.

“Waves!” Wynonna called from the pool table. “Come on! Let me finish kicking your ass.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and walked out from behind the bar and back to the pool table, mind occupied with thoughts of the new kind eyed stranger in town. She didn’t notice at the time, but the feeling of waiting just...waiting...was suddenly gone.

***

Long, bony fingers tightened on the pocket watch, yellow eyes looking down at its hands as it _’tick tick ticked’_ in his palm like a heartbeat. The tall spindly man straightened, somehow making himself appear taller. The papery pad of his finger brushed against the cool metal lid of the pocket watch before he snapped it shut, the sound reverberating through the empty room like the snap of a broken bone.

Sunken cheekbones and deep eye sockets made him look half in the grave already, thin skin stretched over his skeleton like cling wrap. 

The room was small. Simple. Victorian style with a large fireplace that a fully grown man could step into. Blue striped wallpaper lined the walls and all led to the ceiling with a mural depicting Dante’s inferno, skeletons dancing around flames while mortals lay in flames suffering. Demons with giant, dripping jaws ready to devour the sinners.

“It’s time,” he said, voice thin and tiny. 

Gretta looked up from the spell book she was hunched over, eyes narrowing on the man standing in the middle of the room.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s time’?” she hissed, “We’re not ready-”

“Well, we’ll have to be, won’t we?” he said with a raise of his eyebrow. “She came to town much sooner than I expected.”

Gretta stood up with a scoff. “You’re being awful casual about our plan being so royally fuck-”

“Language,” he chastised easily. He looked up at a grandfather clock that was pushed against the opposite wall. It had far too many hands, proportions oddly off. It was shaped vaguely like a coffin, its chest large. He slipped the pocket watch into the pocket of his suit jacket and looked back at Gretta.

“Do you have the spell ready?”

“No, I need another day-”

“You have ten minutes,” he said dismissively. They’ve already met and if they meet again...it could be disaster. Everything we’ve been planning could go to ruins.”

Gretta pointedly picked up the spell book and shook her head. “Maybe we still have time. The prophecy says that ‘When the destined souls come together-’”

“‘-when the destined souls come together, a new hope will light and dawn will be near’,” he finished, his fingers pressing against each other and forming a peak in front of him. “I’m well aware of what the prophecy says, _Witch_. Now make sure they don’t meet again.”

Gretta shot him a look and snapped the book shut, a cloud of dust leaving the pages. “Whatever you say, _Sandy_.”

“I told you not to call me that,” he growled. But it was too late, Gretta had already walked out the door.

***

After the pool game was over Waverly and Wynonna sat down at their usual booth with a bottle of whiskey on the table between them. Waverly’s mind wandered back to the redhead from earlier.

_Nicole._

How had she never realized what a pretty name that was? She had knows a fair number of Nicoles in her life, so she couldn’t imagine why she never noticed before. Wynonna poured them both glasses of whiskey and Waverly gratefully took hers. 

“So something big is happening,” Wynonna said, eyes on the glass as she downed her drink.

Waverly blinked at her. “What? Something bad.”

“Isn’t it usually in Purgatory?” Wynonna asked, pouring herself another drink.

Waverly took her own sip. “Well how do you know? Have you heard anything?”

“Nope.”

She frowned. “Seen anything?”

“More like...noticed something,” Wynonna said with a tilt of her head. “The Revenants have seemed to...be more scarce lately. Like they’re hiding.”

“Maybe they’re just tired,” Waverly joked but Wynonna still shook her head. 

“I think it’s more like they just...know something is coming.”

Waverly hummed and drained more of her drink. “What do we do?”

“Haven’t quite figured that one out yet,” Wynonna muttered, eyes wandering to the other patrons of the bar. They sat in their silence for a moment before Wynonna squinted and looked back at Waverly. “That girl you were talking to earlier...she’s new. Does she seem weird? Like...demon weird?”

“No,” Waverly said quickly. So quickly that Wynonna only squinted harder. “Seriously. She’s...she’s normal.”

“You sure?” Wynonna asked again.

Waverly nodded, “Positive.”

“Hm,” Wynonna said, leaning a little back in her chair. “Well I’m going to keep an eye on fire crotch anyways. See if she turns out to be all evil and shit.”

“I think we’re fine,” Waverly said thinking about her soft brown eyes and that easy smile that made her stomach flutter. There’s no way that she could be evil. She was too...pretty. “Definitely fine.”

***

Nicole got back in her car, eyes lingering on the windows of Shorty’s, just hoping for one more glimpse of Waverly. 

_Waverly._

Just her name made Nicole smile uncontrollably. She rolled her eyes and started the car.

“Get ahold of yourself, Haught,” she said rolling her shoulders. Rosita had said the address she was looking for was easy enough to find. Her new home. She looked down at her phone that had miraculously turned on again and frowned. Maybe she should take it in to be looked at. 

She pulled out and started down the road. Her mind kept thinking of Waverly. A girl she barely talked to but now needed to know everything about. How old was she? How long had she been in Purgatory? Was she staying here? Did she work at the bar? It sure seemed that way.

Nicole remembered how soft her hand was when they shook, and sighed. How could just a handshake give her goosebumps? Absently she wondered if her lips were as soft as her hand and blushed to herself. She was being ridiculous. 

She kept telling herself that Waverly was just a girl. Even if her heart was telling her that was the furthest thing from the truth.

Without thinking, she started humming again. 

_I should just walk away, but I can't move my feet-_

***

_”The more that I know you, the more I want to. Something inside me's changed,”_ Waverly trailed off as she thought about Nicole. Nicole Haught. Of course. Because she was...very hot.

Waverly rolled her eyes at herself. “Get ahold of yourself, Earp...Earp-ish.”

She pushed away the painful reminder of her heritage as her eyes wandered to the side mirror of her Jeep. She saw a car coming up behind her and it looked like they were approaching pretty quickly. Frowning, she wondered absently if it was Wynonna following her back from Shorty’s. Maybe she had decided not to stay to meet Doc and Dolls after all.

But the closer the car got, the more Waverly’s blood started to run cold, heart squeezing in her chest.

Something felt...wrong…

The road took a hard dip on either side, nowhere to pull over. As the headlights got closer, she saw it was a sleek looking black car with darkly tinted windows. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel and she tried to maintain her speed, waiting to see if the other car would slow down. When it was clear they had no intention of slowing, Waverly reached blindly for her phone in her purse on the seat next to her. Her fingers closed around it and she hit the button. 

“Siri, call Bacon Donut,” Waverly said as calmly as she could. The phone rang a few times until Wynonna finally picked up.

“Hey! Miss me already, baby girl?” Wynonna said, her voice slurring.

“Wynonna,” Waverly said evenly, “someone is behind me on the road and-”

She screamed when the car slammed into her rear bumper.

“Baby girl?” Wynonna said, panic rendering her voice crystal clear, “Waves! What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s trying to run me off the road,” Waverly said dropping the phone in her lap, both hands on the wheel as she corrected the Jeep to stay on the road. She glanced back in the mirror. “Black, expensive looking car. I can’t see the driver or plates.”

“Waverly! I’m coming!”

The car slammed into her again and Waverly felt one of her tires blow. She shook her head, tears of panic and regret pooling in her eyes. “It’s too late. Just don’t let Champ come to my funeral!”

“Waverly, stop! You’re not dying!”

The car came easily up beside Waverly’s Jeep. It felt like time slowed down as the car slammed its whole side into her Jeep. She couldn’t hear anything as the Jeep flew off the side of the road, turning and flipping in the ditch. Her whole body flew with the impact, tumbling helplessly as the car rolled over and over into the ditch. 

Before she blacked out, she swore she saw a flash of red hair and kind brown eyes.


	2. the whites are missing from my eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone!!
> 
> Thank you for the amazing response to my first chapter. I'm so overwhelmed and grateful and I love every one of you. I hope you enjoy this wild ride a little more.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Nicole sat up straight in her bed with a gasp, heart pounding as her eyes adjusted to the light. CJ leapt off of her chest at the sudden movement, glaring at her with an annoyed look for being disturbed from her restful sleep. 

Brown eyes darted around the room as she tried to get her bearings. Boxes surrounded her, stacked in towers in her living room. Right. Her new living room. In her new town. 

She ran a shaky hand through her hair and tried to remember the dream that had woken her up. It felt like...tumbling. Over and over again, and glass flying around her.

CJ meowed and the last fragments of the dream slipped through her fingers. 

Nicole lay back down. She remembered going to take a nap after carrying her stuff into the house, and then she must have passed out. The exhaustion from the day finally getting to her. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She would have to do a deep clean before really unpacking. Just to get the last layer of dirt off the place.

She took a deep breath but still couldn’t get her heart to calm. Dread settled in her stomach and she rubbed at her eyes. It was late. She could tell just from the lack of light coming through the windows.

CJ meowed again and Nicole stood up from the couch. “Fine fine,” she said resignedly, shuffling over to the kitchen and fishing the cat’s dry food out of an opened box. CJ curled around her legs until the food was on the ground, then immediately lost interest in Nicole as she moved back to the couch. She closed her eyes as she lay back, hoping sleep would take her.

***

“Baby girl, I’m right here,” Wynonna said, her voice thick and...angry?

Waverly groaned and tried to open her eyes but the brightness was too intense. She shut her eyes again and groaned. Alright. If she couldn’t open up her eyes...she could hear beeping and shuffling. Voices she didn’t recognize were talking back and forth and so quickly that she couldn’t quite understand what they were saying.

She felt like there was something over her face and felt her panic start in her chest. Waverly’s _everything_ hurt. Her arms, her legs, her back...everything.

Suddenly she remembered. A car accident. She was in a car accident. Suddenly she couldn’t breath, her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was vibrating in her chest and-

There was a small pinch in her arm and everything went black.

***

The next day, Nicole had to drink two cups of coffee before she went to work. She hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Every time she closed her eyes she was assaulted with images of a car accident. Of being _in_ one. Of tumbling over and over in the metal cage, unable to get out. If it wasn’t the car accident, it was a hospital. She was lying in bed and couldn’t move. 

Nicole swore she could still smell the peroxide and sanitizer smell of the hospital. It made her stomach turn just thinking about it. 

The two cups helped her feel a little better though. Like she wasn’t going to pass out from exhaustion. As soon as she got to the station, she poured herself another cup before Nedley ushered her into his office. 

“Welcome, Haught,” he said, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. She sat, back straight, as she tapped the ceramic of her mug with an anxious fingertip. It had a picture of her and CJ on it that Shae had gotten her as a joke for Mother’s Day one year. She figured she should get rid of it at some point. 

“Hello, sir,” Nicole said with a small nod. “I want to say thank you again for the job-“

Nedley waved his hand dismissively, effectively cutting her off from her ramble. “Haught, you were the top of your class in the Academy. I should be thanking you for accepting a job in a little town like this.”

“It’s an honor-“

“If you say so,” Nedley sighed before dropping a file in front of her. She blinked at it and back up at Nedley as he folded his hands on the desk in front of him. “Last night one of Purgatory’s beloved citizens was run off the road.”

Nicole leaned forward, intrigued. She opened the file and her eyes immediately went to the pictures of the crash. An overturned red Jeep lay upside down in a ditch, debris scattered all around it. Nicole’s blood ran cold at the familiarity of it and she frowned. 

“Last night you said?” she asked as she flipped to the next page where the report was. “Are they okay?”

“Last night, yes. And...well Waverly Earp is...a fighter.”

Nicole felt her stomach drop. It was the girl in the bar from the night before. The one with the blinding smile, and pretty hair, and soft, delicate hands. The one she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since she had left the bar. 

“So she’s...not okay?” Nicole asked a little dumbly.

“She’s in the hospital now and...it’s not looking great,” Nedley said, voice cracking a little bit. “Swelling in the brain...medically induced coma. The whole nine yards. But we don’t have any evidence on who ran her off the road. This is going to be your first case.”

He pushed the folder a little closer to her and Nicole took it off the desk. It was thin but felt like it weighed a million pounds.

“Are you...sure?” Nicole asked.

“Of course. I know you’re going to do your hardest to impress since it’s your first case. And I need to bring whoever did this in,” Nedley said firmly. “I don’t just have her sister on my case, I have the whole town.”

“Ah,” Nicole said, “so she’s a popular girl around here then?”

Nedley managed a laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

“So her sister is the one I need to talk to?” Nicole asked with a quirk of her head. “No...significant other?”

Nedley sniffed and shook his head. “Luckily she got rid of that Champ Hardy a while ago.”

Nicole nodded and closed the file with a weak _‘snap’_. “Alright, sir, I’ll get right on this.”

“Wynonna’s probably at the hospital right now. I bet if you head down there you can get a statement,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. 

“Yes, sir,” Nicole said as she stood up, file in hand. She turned to leave but Nedley stopped her for a moment. 

“Oh and uh...Haught?” he said before she turned around. “Just keep in mind that Wynonna is-...well Waverly’s her only family. Don’t take anything she says personally.”

Nicole frowned at the statement before nodding. “Yes, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh and another thing.”

Nicole turned back around. 

Nedley squinted and took a deep breath. “They’re both...deputies. Wynonna and her sister. Special agency that handles...weird cases.”

“Weird...cases?” Nicole asked, but Nedley waved her off. 

“You’ll see. Well...knowing Dolls you probably won’t. But it’ll make sense soon enough.” Nedley leaned back against his chair and Nicole could tell that he was done talking. 

She turned back around and headed out the door, the file heavy in her hands. 

*** 

Nicole stood outside the hospital room for a moment, thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her pants as she strained to look through the slats in the blinds covering the window of the room. She could just barely make out the shape of a woman sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, her hand over Waverly’s. 

Nicole could hardly bring herself to look at Waverly. She looked lifeless lying there, a breathing tube protruding from her mouth. Nicole’s heart ached to look at her bruised and battered face. Her arm looked like it was in a cast and if the odd shaped lump under the sheet was any indication, it seemed like her leg might be too. Nicole licked her lips and ran a hand through her hair. She had to get it together. 

“Come on, Nicole,” she muttered to herself, “Get a hold of yourself. You only met her once.”

“Yeah but knowing Waverly, I bet she made an impression,” came a deep voice from behind her. Nicole turned around and saw a tall serious looking man looking at her with his arms crossed. 

Nicole immediately went into cop mode, standing straight and shoulders back. 

“Do you know her?” she asked, pulling her notebook out of her back pocket and flipping it open, pen at the ready. 

The man’s eyes flickered down to the notepad briefly. “I do, Officer…” he trailed off, waiting for her to finish the sentence. 

“Officer Haught. And you are?” 

“Special Agent Xavier Dolls,” he said holding out a hand that Nicole immediately shook. “I’m with a special cross border task force.”

Nicole nodded with a impressed raise of her eyebrow. “Okay, well, do you know anything about the accident?” 

Dolls shook his head. “You should be asking Wynonna. But she might not necessarily be...receptive at the moment.”

She tapped the end of her pen against her notepad and looked back at Waverly through the window. She hummed before turning back to the man. “Dolls, what kind of cases do you handle with your department?”

Dolls physically hardened, face still unreadable. “That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

“Well I might need to know if it had something to do with why Waverly was run off the road,” Nicole replied coolly. Dolls just gazed at her for a moment, one waiting for the other to back down. But neither did.

“You should probably talk to Wynonna,” he said nodding towards the room. “She was the one that got the call from Waverly before she crashed.”

Nicole wanted to keep noodling him for answers, but it was clear he wasn’t the type of man who could be provoked into talking. Nicole made a mental note to talk to Nedley about him later as she snapped her notebook shut.

“I’ll follow up with you later,” she said firmly, wanting to make it absolutely clear that she wasn’t backing down.

“I’m sure you will,” Dolls said before turning on his heel and walking down the hall. Nicole watched him retreat for a moment before turning back towards the door. She strode up to it and hesitated for a moment before closing her hand into a fist and knocking lightly. There was no sound from the room so Nicole took a deep breath to collect herself and slowly pushed open the door.

She poked her head in and Wynonna was standing up, hand ready on the revolver strapped to her hip. Nicole’s instincts told her to reach for her own weapon but she resisted, slipping into the room with a small smile instead.

“I’m surprised they let you in the hospital with that thing,” Nicole said calmly, avoiding looking down at Waverly even if her eyes pulled her that way. 

“They know not to stop me,” Wynonna said as her eyes flickered over Nicole, squinting as she tried to get a read on her. “Who are you, Rookie Blue?”

“Officer Haught,” Nicole said, holding out her hand. Wynonna just looked down at it and slowly let her hand fall from the handle of her gun. Nicole relaxed a little bit and Wynonna tipped her chin towards her.

“Haught? Seriously?” Wynonna said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What? Did you just walk off the set of a porno or something?”

Nicole managed a tight lipped smile. “I’m here to take your statement about Waverly’s accident.”

“Why should I talk to you? Why’d Nedley send a rookie flatfoot to handle my sister’s case?” Wynonna demanded. Nicole could hear the leather of her jacket squeaking together as she tightened her arms around herself. “Why’d he even send anyone at all? I’ll handle this on my own. Okay, Haught Crotch?”

Wynonna walked back to Waverly’s bedside, looking down at her sister. Nicole flexed her hands on her notebook before carefully slipping it back into her jacket pocket. She took a deep breath and a small step closer to Wynonna, seeing how blue eyes noticed the movement immediately.

Nicole chanced a glance down at the chart at the end of Waverly’s bed, only able to make out a few things.

_Severe spinal trauma_

_Medically induced coma_

Nicole felt sick.

“Ms. Earp, I know this is difficult,” Nicole said softly. “But I just want to talk so we can find whomever did this to your sister.”

Wynonna chuckled, no humor left in her as she put her hand over Waverly’s. “I don’t need your help. I’m going to find the asshole who did this and make them wish they never even learned how to drive.”

“Can you let me help then?” Nicole said, trying to find a way to get Wynonna to cooperate. For some reason there was something...almost familiar about the other woman. It set Nicole on edge but she tried to ignore it. She had one job right now.

Wynonna turned and looked her over once more. “Hey, aren’t you that chick that was talking up my sister at Shorty’s last night?”

Nicole blushed and shrugged. “I met her there, yeah. But that’s not-”

“And now you just _happen_ to be on my sister’s case?” Wynonna said, suspicion leaking into the edges of her voice.

“Yeah,” Nicole said easily. 

The steady beeping of the machines filled the silence between them for a few moments and Wynonna scoffed.

“I’m sorry. But that seems a little too coincidental to me,” Wynonna said turning fully towards Nicole again. “How’d you end up in Purgatory? Young, eager beaver such as yourself...seems weird to end up in a nowhere town like this.”

Nicole felt herself stiffen, lips pressing into a thin line. “Ms. Earp, I’m here to help. Not to be interrogated. I’m not the enemy here.”

“Yeah, well in my experience, people who show a weird interest in my family usually _are_ the enemy,” Wynonna said as she kept stepping forward until the tips of her boots hit Nicole’s. The two women just stared at each other for a moment, Nicole making herself as tall as possible while trying not to seem confrontational.

“I’m not the enemy, Wynonna,” she repeated gently. “I promise. I just want to help.”

Wynonna shook her head. “We don’t need help. I’m the only one who can help my sister now.”

With that, Wynonna turned back around and sat on the chair next to Waverly’s bed. Nicole let her eyes wander to Waverly for the first time since stepping into the room and her heart stopped. 

Waverly had bruises all over her face and she looked so small in the bed. Not at all like the little powerhouse of a woman she had met the night before. Her instinct was to rush over and push some of the hair from her face but Wynonna’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“You can go now, Officer Haught Pants,” Wynonna said firmly, eyes still on Waverly. “We’re good here.”

Nicole tightened her jaw and swallowed down her pride. It wasn’t going to get her anywhere here. 

“I’ll speak with you later, Ms. Earp,” Nicole said with a short nod. She looked at Waverly one more time, her heart tugging and begging her to stay just a little longer. Nicole shook it off and with one final nod of goodbye to Wynonna, she walked out of the room and back to the sheriff station.

***

_Emotional earthquake, bring on disaster. You hit me head-on, got me weak in my knees-_

It felt like...floating. Like floating in the middle of a bathtub. A giant bathtub filled with the warmest water and-

Why was that song _still_ in her head. 

And why was she...here? Wherever here was. 

She blinked and suddenly she was in her bedroom. Waverly looked around. Everything seemed the same but...different for some reason. 

The sound sounded like it was coming from a radio far away. Perhaps somewhere downstairs. Distant and tinny. Waverly wrinkled her nose a little in confusion and when she blinked again she was back in darkness. 

_I was so much younger yesterday, ye-eah-_

***

_I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you-_

That stupid fucking song. 

Nicole groaned and pushed the covers off of herself despite the cold creeping into her bones. The sheet got caught on her foot and she kicked it away angrily. She glanced at the clock and sighed. She had to get up in just a couple hours and she hadn’t slept for even a single second. 

It had been two days of no sleep, going on the third. It would have been an understatement to say that Nicole was exhausted. 

She’d tried everything. That Sleepy Time Tea bullshit, counting sheep, putting the radio on, putting the tv on, warm milk...and _nothing_. Nothing helped.

Nicole felt completely and utterly wiped out. Copious amounts of caffeine had been a temporary solution, but even that wasn’t quite working anymore. She had moved on to energy drinks which worked for a brief amount of time, but the crash was brutal. The only thing that could keep Nicole from feeling worse was to keep drinking them. Of course, that made her already compromised body shaky with adrenaline.

She was still working on Waverly’s case, even if she couldn’t get Wynonna to talk to her about what happened. Nedley seemed only vaguely concerned and not at all surprised that Wynonna refused to help her.

Nicole had spent hours into the night just pouring over the thin, measly file. Going through all the photos of Waverly’s car, of her injuries, of the marks on the road...the only evidence that there was even another car involved in the accident besides the frantic phone call Waverly had made to her sister. And frustratingly, Wynonna wouldn’t divulge any information about that call.

Safe to say, Nicole knew pretty much everything there was to know about the crash at this point.

So tonight, like the past two nights, she just lay there staring up at the ceiling with that stupid fucking song in her head and thought of Waverly Earp.

***

Nicole felt drunk.

But she knew she wasn’t. 

She was just tired as hell. She had her usual energy drink after her coffee on the way to work, certain the combo was eating a hole into her stomach. But she knew she was in deep shit when she started to hallucinate.

When she sat at her desk, she could swear there were tiny little black cats marching across the top. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and rubbed, lights popping in front of her eyelids. When she pulled them away...no more cats.

“Great,” she muttered to herself.

She did her paperwork from an arrest the night before as quickly and accurately as she could, even with the words swimming in front of her eyes. She had patrol later that day and needed to finish her paper before she headed out. Nicole popped the top of another energy drink and chugged about half of it as she read through a report she had finished the previous shift. When it was up to her standards, she stood up and walked into Nedley’s office with the file in hand. 

With a brief knock on the door frame, she forced a smile and took a small step into the office. Nedley looked up from the report he was looking at with a grunt.

“Haught,” he said with a gruff nod. “Got a report there for me?”

“Yes, sir,” she said just as a yawn overtook her face. She tried to suppress it, hiding it behind her hand as she handed him the report. He took the file, eyes still on Nicole.

“Are you okay, Haught?” he asked. “I know I don’t know you all that well but...are you okay? You seem a bit off. A bit more than new job jitters anyways.” 

Nicole licked her lips nervously and shook her head. “I’m fine, sir. Thank you for your concern.”

Nedley just blinked at her and hummed. “Have you been sleepin’ alright?”

Nicole couldn’t help but shrug. “I think being in a new place has made it kinda hard to sleep comfortably.”

“Is that all?” Nedley said. “Just...being somewhere new? Nothing...else?” Nedley looked up at her dubiously and Nicole just blinked back at him. “Let me know if it seems anything other than...natural causes. Yeah?”

Nicole frowned at the Sheriff. “Is there a reason it...would be something other than natural causes?”

Other than a small mustache twitch, Nedley didn’t say anything more on the subject. Instead he just opened the file Nicole gave him and took a sip of his coffee. 

“On patrol today, do me a favor and drive past the Earp Homestead,” he said softly. “Just to make sure everything’s fine over there.”

Nicole knew when she was being dismissed. She nodded walked back out of Nedley’s office, only stopping by her desk to grab her energy drink and head back out the door towards the patrol car.

***

Waverly blinked.

She was in a car.

Her body seized for a moment, thinking it was another dream reliving her car accident. But she paused and realized she was on the passenger side of the car. Her eyes wandered to the dashboard, all sorts of equipment hanging off of it that she recognized from the days of Nedley giving Chrissy and her rides to school dances in his patrol car.

She looked at the driver’s seat and blinked as her brain slowly caught up with her. Waverly was looking at...Nicole. Nicole who she had talked to in the bar for about five minutes the night of the accident.

Waverly would have been lying to say she hadn’t thought about Nicole a few times since she got...wherever she was. 

Where was she? It felt like she was present but...not. Waverly knew she wasn’t dead...it just felt like something...close to death. 

The sound of the door slamming brought her from her thoughts and she looked back at Nicole. She tugged her beanie down lower over her ears, short red hair just barely peeking out from under the hat. Waverly couldn’t help but stare at the other woman as she settled herself into the car.

Obviously Nicole couldn’t see her, so Waverly felt free to ogle her as much as she’d wanted to that night in the bar. Whatever was happening...whatever dream she was in (because that’s what she was leaning towards) meant that she could stare at Nicole all she wanted. That was probably the best thing to come out of this whole shit sandwich situation.

So Waverly looked at the slope of her nose and how her ears peeked cutely out from her hair, the tips red from the cold. She watched her long, slender fingers tap anxiously on the side of the energy drink she was carrying before slipping it into the cup holder. Nicole’s hand reached blindly for Waverly’s lap and she blushed deeply, waiting for the contact that never came as Nicole’s hand disappeared into where her crotch was. Hypothetically. Except Nicole’s hand passed right through her and pulled a file up from the seat instead. 

Waverly huffed and adjusted herself on the seat, not letting herself feel embarrassed for the slight pounding between her legs at the thought of Nicole touching her there. For real. 

_All these dreams I’ve been having and no sex dreams? This sucks,_ Waverly thought to herself as she watched Nicole open up the file. All dirty thoughts ceased as soon as she saw the photos pinned to the police file Nicole was holding. It was her Jeep, flipped over in the snow. She leaned closer to Nicole (who smelled like vanilla dipped donuts, she noted) and read the file over her shoulder. 

Car accident, spinal injuries...medically induced coma.

“Oh fudgenuggets!” Waverly said out loud.

Nicole paused briefly, looking up from the file with a frown as her hand slowly went to the gun at her hip. Waverly leaned back in her seat with her own frown. Had Nicole...heard her? Nicole quickly pulled her gun and aimed it through the cage that separated the front from the back and peered into the backseat to see if anyone was there.

“That was weird,” Nicole muttered as she cautiously put her gun back into the holster. “I could have sworn-...must just be the exhaustion.”

Nicole took a long swig of her energy drink and Waverly couldn’t help but watch as her throat flexed and bobbed with each gulp. Waverly sighed, becoming far less distracted when Nicole put the empty can back into the cup holder with a hollow ‘thunk’. Nicole shook out her arms and let a loud breath out through her nose before slapping her face a little.

Waverly looked at the bags under her eyes and shook her head. Nicole seemed completely exhausted. Had she even been sleeping? Probably not as well as she had been. Being in a coma and all.

She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest as Nicole started to pull out of the parking lot. Of _course_ some asshole would run her off the road and put her into a coma. Of course _she_ would have to sit back and wait for someone to save her. It couldn’t be Wynonna who needed to be saved for once. 

Waverly felt bad as soon as she thought it and knocked on her own head like she was knocking on wood for the statement. She was glad her sister wasn’t in a coma...obviously. But that didn’t mean she was happy that she _was_. 

She glanced back over at Nicole who looked like she was struggling, leaning forward in her seat as she cruised up the main street of Purgatory, just turning up a road Waverly knew well.

“Where are you going, Nicole?” Waverly mused to herself as she leaned her elbow on the center console, head in the palm of her hand as she continued to look at the redhead. “You really are super gorgeous.”

Nicole, for obvious reasons, said nothing and Waverly hummed a little.

“I wish you could hear me,” Waverly whispered. “I didn’t get enough time to talk to you in the bar. If I had known where I would end up I would have talked to you more. Do you even remember me? Beyond the pictures in your file? I bet you only remember me as ‘that chick in a coma’.”

Waverly sighed at the irony of her own misfortune with a roll of her her eyes. “It figures that the only woman in Purgatory I’m attracted to would come by right before I’m in a coma. You’re gonna be all snatched up by the time I’m out of it. If only I could tell Rosita to keep her hands to herself...or Wynonna really. But she’s more oblivious.”

She tapped her fingers to an unknown beat on the console and pressed her lips together.

“It’s not weird...right? That I have this huge crush on you even if I’ve only met you once?” she said. “Because...it might seem odd but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. At least in the moments I can actually...think. I feel like we’ve met before...in another life. Or maybe...in a dream.” Waverly wrinkled her nose in embarrassment. “That’s weird huh? A little bit?”

Unsurprisingly, Nicole said nothing, eyes still on the road. Waverly shrugged and looked back at the road. She squinted, instantly recognizing her surroundings. Nicole’s car pulled over the small bridge to the Homestead and pulled up in front next to Wynonna’s truck.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Waverly said as Nicole slipped out of the patrol car and began walking up to the front door. Waverly reached for the handle of the door but her hand passed through it. She huffed in frustration and braced herself as she pushed through the door. She looked back at the car from where she stood outside of it and sighed. “That’s so weird.”

After taking a moment to recover, she walked up to the door of the Homestead, standing beside Nicole just as Wynonna opened up the door.

Blue eyes scanned over Nicole’s form with a scoff. “What are you doing here, Officer Haught Shit?”

“I just came to check up on you,” Nicole said, very professionally. “And to let you know we’ve been doing everything to find whoever did this to Waverly.”

“Well you’re doing a real shit job of it, aren’t you?” Wynonna said with a quirk of her eyebrows. Waverly sighed and wished she could flick the back of Wynonna’s ear, telling her to not give Nicole a hard time.

“If you have any more information you can share with us about that night,” Nicole said, glazing over Wynonna’s comment, “it would be really helpful.”

Wynonna shrugged. “She called me. She got run off the road. Now I have to be the one to find who did this to her since I obviously can’t rely on whatever rookie Nedley put in charge.”

“I’ve actually been an officer for almost three years-”

“Yeah yeah. And I’ve been an Earp my entire life. I got this,” Wynonna said. “Earps don’t need anyone. Especially people who only pretend to care about us.”

“I’m not pretending,” Nicole said, frustration finally leaking into the edges of her voice. “I care. I care about Waverly-”

“You met her once. You didn’t know my sister and there was no way in hell you actually cared about her,” Wynonna spat. “So leave me alone so I can handle this on my own.”

Wynonna shut the door in Nicole’s face so hard that some of the snow on the overhang of the porch shook free and landed on the ground. Nicole stared at the door for a moment before turning sharply on her heels and marching back to her patrol car.

“Great,” Waverly heard her mutter under her breath.

Waverly turned towards the door of the Homestead, arms crossed. “You’re being a real shit, Wynonna!” she yelled, even though she knew no one could hear her. “Nicole’s just trying to help! And she said-...” Waverly’s voice trailed off as she looked back at Nicole in the patrol car, opening up another energy drink. “-she said she cared about me.”

A tiny seed of warmth bloomed in Waverly’s chest even if she told it not to, a small smile forcing its way onto her face. Nicole _cared_ about her. _Her!_ And sure...it was something that all police officers were sworn to do and say...to care about every citizen. But...somewhere in her heart, Waverly felt like this was different.

And she swore Nicole looked up from her cruiser and looked right at her. Their eyes locked and Waverly couldn’t help but smile a little wider, offering Nicole a small wave before everything went black again.

***

Nicole rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands. She could have sworn-...no. Waverly was in the hospital.

“Get it together, Haught,” she said as she lowered her hands from her eyes and blinked. The porch of the Homestead came back into view and Waverly was gone. Another hallucination. But she kind of wished all her hallucinations took the form of Waverly Earp.

Her patrol shift moved slowly but by the time she made it back to the sheriff station, she knew she had to talk to Nedley. Because it was weird. Everything had been weird since she’d gotten into town. 

Nicole had no history of insomnia in any way. She’d always been good about going to bed right on time, getting her full eight hours and getting up to go for a jog. But she hadn’t slept a wink since she’d rolled into Purgatory. That and the fact that the people were weird and it always felt like something was hidden...just underneath the surface…

Nicole Haught had never necessarily believed in the supernatural.

For a part of her life she believed in the spiritual part of things...it was what had been told to her for her entire life. Even if she did avoid actually going _into_ a church, she knew what they were saying inside of it. And as she got older she was sure you couldn’t have the spiritual without the supernatural and she wasn’t necessarily sure if she believed in the spiritual anymore. She wasn’t naive enough to say there was nothing out there in the universe, but she resented the idea that her life was anything but her own. That the course of her life was predetermined and she had no ownership over it.

It was that need for control that made her dubious.

But there were certain things that she couldn’t deny. Like how weird this whole place was. Nicole swore she saw some guy’s eyes glowing red just the other day.

She wasn’t sure how she got back to the sheriff department parking lot and into the office, but she found herself in Nedley’s office before she realized it.

“Haught, how’d patrol go?” Nedley asked, looking only slightly surprised that the officer was standing in his office.

Nicole blinked for a moment before pulling the beanie off her head and stuffing it into her jacket pocket. “I’m...I can’t sleep and it’s really weirding me out,” Nicole said, hoping her hands weren’t visibly shaking from the amount of energy drinks she had pumped into her system. She could feel her body vibrating, heart thrumming in her chest wildly. “And I saw Waverly Earp. At the Homestead.”

Nedley didn’t look anywhere near as surprised as Nicole expected. “I’m guessing Wynonna wouldn’t talk to you still?”

“No. But I-...” Nicole licked her lips and wondered if she was about to lose the job she hadn’t even had a week. But she was too exhausted to care. “Sir, with all due respect...what aren’t you telling me?”

Nedley’s mustache twitched ever so subtly.

“There are weird things going on in this town,” Nicole said. “I can’t be the only one who feels it. There’s something strange...here. Right? Wynonna and her cross border task force that there’s no record of whatsoever! That has something to do with it, doesn’t it.”

“Well, I guess this is what I get for hiring someone known for being perceptive,” Nedley said, motioning for Nicole to close the door. She did so quickly and took a seat in front of Nedley’s desk.

“So, I’m right?”

“You’re...not wrong,” Nedley sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk. “But, Haught, that’s all I can tell you. And to be careful.”

Nicole blinked at him in disbelief. “What?”

Nedley shrugged. “If you go through the reports, you’ll see that there’re no hints of anything out of the ordinary in Purgatory. So...I _technically_ have no knowledge of these supposed happenings.” He gave her a pointed look. “However, I know Agent Dolls told me to tell him of any strange happenings around town. And I’m sure seeing visions of...Waverly is going to pique his interest.”

Nicole licked her lips while her tired brain tried to catch up with what was happening. “Um...Dolls?”

“He should be in his office now. But knock first or you might be lookin’ down the barrel of a gun before you can even get the door open.”

Too tired to really argue, Nicole just nodded and headed for the back offices, where she had seen Dolls disappear many a time before. She knocked and listened, the sound of ruffling papers and banging furniture coming from behind the door. 

“Enter,” he called. Nicole rolled her eyes and stepped into offices that looked practically the same as the sheriff ones. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting but maybe something a little more...interesting. Her eyes finally focused on Dolls leaning against one of the desks, arms crossed. 

“Officer Haught.”

“Agent Dolls,” Nicole said as she leaned on the edge of a desk, mimicking Dolls’ body language and...honestly she was just so exhausted she could barely stand. “Nedley told me to talk to you.”

“About what?” he asked.

Nicole licked her lips and shrugged. “I haven’t been sleeping.”

Dolls frowned a little. “That seems more like a conversation with your doctor.”

“Well, he told me to tell him if I noticed anything weird...and...well this is weird for me,” Nicole said with a shake of her head. “That and the hallucinations-”

“Hallucinations?” Dolls asked, sitting up a little straighter. “What kind?”

“Weird things. I thought I-...I thought I heard Waverly earlier,” Nicole admitted with a small blush. “And then I went to the Homestead and…”

She trailed off, watching the way Dolls’ subtle facial movements betrayed his interest. His eyes were impossibly focused, mouth a hard line and his arms tighter around his chest.

“What did you see?”

Nicole sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I-...Waverly Earp. Smiling at me from her front porch.”

Dolls stared at her for a moment. “That’s impossible.”

“I’m aware,” Nicole deadpanned, wondering if this was going to get her anywhere. She shook her head and stood up from the desk. “Listen, I just came in here because Nedley told me that weird stuff happens here-”

“Like what?” Dolls said, eyes a little narrowed.

Nicole rolled her eyes, patience worn thin from her exhaustion. “Nevermind-”

“Haught, wait,” Dolls said standing up from the desk. “Have you only had contact with Waverly twice?”

“In person or in...whatever this is?” Nicole said as she made a vague gesture in the air with her hands.

Dolls licked his lips. “That last one.”

“Yes,” Nicole said. “And I haven’t slept since...well since I met her, actually.”

“Which was the night of the accident?” Dolls said.

Nicole just nodded and Dolls took a long look at her. “You should probably be at home, Haught. I’ll talk to Nedley about giving you the next few days off.”

“But-”

“No buts. You’re no good if you can’t sleep anyways,” Dolls said before pulling a card out of his back pocket and handing it to Nicole. “And call me as soon as you have another point of contact with Waverly. And remember _everything_ that she says or does.”

“I...okay?” Nicole said looking down at the card and back up at him. “Is this...normal that I’m seeing her? Is it my imagination?”

Dolls sighed. “Knowing Waverly...anything is possible.”

***

Waverly sat in the massive library and was something she never thought she’d be in a library. Bored. 

And this library was the one of her dreams. Er...figuratively as well as literally it seemed. High ceilings covered in a beautiful mural that seemed to change every time Waverly looked up at it. She swore it started out as a Dali, then Rousseau and Picasso and finally...Waverly squinted as she tried to recognize the art. Rossetti. Absently she wondered if it would just filter through every painting her brain was hiding in the deep recesses of her mind. Probably mostly from the art history class she took at one of her commuter colleges. 

The stacks were tall, reaching all the way to the ceiling, with long ladders placed throughout. The wood of the shelves was dark and warm and matched the fireplace mantle as well as the tables and chairs in the middle of the room. Waverly sat in one of the plush leather armchairs by the fire, a stack of books next to her.

When Waverly first blinked and found herself in the room, she almost had a heart attack from excitement. There were so many lost texts and first editions. All the books she had longed to read over the years but never got to, all at her disposal. With seemingly ample amounts of time.

This whole being stuck in a coma-dream-land situation really was balls. She couldn’t control where the dreams took her or who was there with her. Her mind had managed to conjure up people she was thinking about, but they were basically puppets. Lifeless and usually doing one task on a loop. They didn’t talk to her or else Waverly might have felt less lonely.

She had managed to bring Wynonna into her dreams a couple of times but all she did was drink whiskey which...wasn’t far from reality. But that got a little boring after a while. And...yeah, she had brought Nicole into her dreams (no, she wasn’t obsessed) but all she did was read a book, or sometimes she stared at Waverly and smiled which...was kinda nice at first but tended to get unnerving.

So now she sat in the library by herself, casually flipping through the pages of the Kama Sutra. She reasoned...if she was going to be stuck in this dream world, she might as well have some fun while she was here. So maybe filling her mind with inappropriate thoughts would lead to a slightly more interesting dream.

There was that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was something she was supposed to be researching…

Waverly looked up from the book at the stack of half read books next to her. They covered a range of subjects. Curses, demons, comas, sleep deprivation, mythical creatures, another book called _‘Two Souls’_. But nothing jogged her memory.

She tapped her fingers on the edges of the book she was reading and shook her head, going back to the page where she’d left off. She frowned at the picture, turning her head to try and get a better idea of what position the man and woman were in.

“Huh,” she said squinting and getting a little closer to the page as she studied it. “That looks tiring.”

***

“Fuck,” Nicole whispered the next morning as she sat in the seat of her patrol car. Her body felt like lead, exhaustion taking over completely. She wasn’t even sure if she had fed Calamity Jane that morning, she was so exhausted. Her forehead was pressed to the window, eyes bloodshot and heavy as she watched snow drift down on her car. She was early to work. Stupid early. She figured she couldn’t sleep, she might as well come in and get some paperwork done.

Even if Nedley had told her to stay home and try to get some rest. 

Nicole literally couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard she tried. So instead of lying in bed all day feeling useless, she wanted to do _something_.

She blinked and tried to see the entrance of the sheriff station from her car. It wasn’t far. Twenty feet maybe. But it felt like miles away with all the snow and how exhausted her body was.

“Alright, Haught, let’s go,” she said finally opening the door to her car. She swung her legs out and stood up, body revolting almost immediately as she swayed unsteadily into the doorframe. The cold air did little to jolt her awake, the snow landing on her nose and eyelashes, clinging wetly to her. Nicole just stood there for a moment, squinting at...someone, standing in the middle of the road looking at her. 

“Waverly?” she whispered, trying to see the figure through the snow flurries. Blotches of black began to cloud her vision, creeping into the edges as she tried to focus. “Oh shit.”

Nicole felt it happening before she could stop it. Her body completely collapsed, the soft snow catching her but also hiding her from view as the blackness overtook her. And all Nicole could think was, _Finally. Some fucking sleep._

***

Nicole sighed, eyes still closed as she felt something she hadn’t felt in days. Rested. There was a warmth coming from...somewhere. She could vaguely hear the soft crackling of a fire and the more she focused on it, the more vivid the world around her seemed to become. Even with her eyes closed.

She was lying down on something soft. A rug maybe? And could smell the fire and the way it warmed her skin made her sigh. She could also smell...flowers? Something sweet?

She frowned, but then felt a light weight settle over her. Something that wasn’t...entirely unpleasant. 

Nicole tried to open her eyes but her vision was foggy. She rubbed her eyes as she felt hands smooth over her chest, stopping to squeeze her breasts briefly before moving over her shoulders and arms.

She couldn’t help the heat that immediately hit her low in the stomach as she felt soft hair tickle her chest. Was she...having a sex dream?

Blinking several times, things started to come into focus and her entire body flushed.

Waverly Earp was straddling her hips in nothing but a lacy bra and panties, hair flowing down over her shoulders and the fire backlighting her in a way that made her look like an angel. Waverly smiled down at her, chest flushed, and Nicole’s hands automatically found her hips.

“I’m going to hell,” Nicole said softly to herself as Waverly ducked her head and began to place soft kisses along her jawline. Nicole groaned at the feeling. “I can’t believe I’m having a sex dream about a girl in a coma.”

Waverly’s movements paused and she pulled back a little bit, looking down at Nicole with a frown. 

“What?”

“What?” 

They blinked at one another for a moment but Waverly quickly shook her head and began to gyrate her hips against Nicole’s groin. Nicole’s head fell back against the carpet as her hands made their way up Waverly’s sides.

“Hush, baby,” Waverly said breathlessly, scraping her blunt nails down Nicole’s front. Goosebumps erupted over her body at the action and Nicole tried to keep her resolve. It was just a sex dream but she wasn’t an _animal_. She wasn’t going to just flip Waverly over and do what she wanted with her. 

Not yet anyways.

Nicole looked down at her torso and saw she was also only in her underwear. Dream Nicole and Dream Waverly were not fucking around.

“I’m just glad I’m finally having a sex dream,” Waverly said as she continued to kiss down Nicole’s chest.

Nicole frowned, even as she ran her fingers through Waverly’s hair. “Dream? I’m having the dream.”

Waverly nipped at the skin just under Nicole’s collarbone and her hips jumped in response. “It’s my dream, silly,” Waverly said as she slowly pulled one of Nicole’s bra straps from off her shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re talking. You haven’t been talking in my other dreams.”

“What?” Nicole said with a frown. Waverly’s lips followed the outline of her bra over the top of her breast and Nicole let out a small whimper. God she was pathetic. But everything felt so...real. “Pretty sure I’m the one dreaming. Especially if it’s you on top of me right now.”

Waverly looked up at her, leaning on her elbows on either side of Nicole's head with a sly smile. Nicole smirked back at her, the same smile she had used countless of times to pick up girls. It was a dream but she could at least still have some chivalry.

“You’re a charmer. Aren’t you, Dream Nicole?” Waverly whispered, kissing the end of Nicole’s nose.

Nicole frowned again with a small shake of her head. “I’m so confused. But also so distracted right now.”

She tipped her hips and flipped them over so that she was slotted between Waverly’s thighs. Waverly let out a surprised squeak as her back hit the floor, but that soon turned into a sensual purr.

“Are you as strong in real life as you are here?” Waverly whispered, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and lifting her hips up to Nicole’s center not so subtly.

“I...think so?” Nicole said as her hands felt the smooth skin of Waverly’s leg. She pulled Waverly’s leg up over her hip and squeezed her strong thigh. “Oh damn, you’re so sexy. I’m glad it’s you I’m having a sex dream about and not someone weird.”

Waverly frowned again and held Nicole’s face between her hands. “Are you...in a dream?”

Nicole frowned back and nodded. “Yes...why?”

“That’s impossible, _I’m_ in a dream,” Waverly said. 

“This is...weird. Right?” Nicole said. “That I’m dreaming this vividly?”

Waverly ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair and her eyes fluttered shut at the feeling. “No no. _I’m_ dreaming. You’re a figment of my imagination that I’ve managed to conjure so that I have something to do in this dream world other than read. Now I can do...well...you.”

Nicole flushed and tried to remind herself that this was Dream Waverly and probably not how she actually felt in real life. Especially being in a coma and all.

“Although, I thought you’d be in your uniform,” Waverly said, slowly pulling down Nicole’s other bra strap as she licked her lips. “But I’m not going to complain.”

“I don’t know. That seems like a pretty elaborate backstory for a figment of my imagination,” Nicole said, brows furrowing.

Waverly propped herself up on her elbows, faces only inches away from each other as Nicole kept herself hovering over the other woman. “How are you so sure you’re not the figment of my imagination?”

“Because I know I passed out outside of my police cruiser,” Nicole clarified, wrinkling her nose as she thought. “I hope someone...finds me out there.”

Waverly tilted her head in thought. “I...saw that...I saw you. I was standing on the street-”

“I saw you! I knew it was you!” Nicole said. “I thought it was a hallucination. I also saw you at the Earp Homestead-”

“I was there! Watching you! Well-” Waverly blushed and tried to recover. “-I um...was riding along with you. In the cruiser.”

“So...is this real?” Nicole whispered. Waverly’s leg tightened around Nicole’s waist and she held back a groan.

Waverly shook her head. “I want it to be real and at the same time...don’t want it to be real,” Waverly said with a blush. “Because if it’s real I made a huge idiot out of myself.”

Nicole smiled widely, eyes tracing the line of Waverly’s lips. “I’m the one on top of you.”

“Yeah, but I started on top of you,” Waverly said, as she twisted the ends of Nicole’s hair between her finger tips. “And admitted I’ve been trying to have a sex dream with you since I got stuck in this stupid coma.”

Nicole lost her train of thought for a moment, just letting her eyes follow the angle of Waverly’s face and the way the lines of the muscles in her toned arms looked more defined in the fire light. Her gaze followed her collarbones and over her chest to the swell of her breasts, spilling over the top of her bra. Nicole just wanted to lean down and-

Waverly cleared her throat with a knowing smile, eyebrow raised. 

“Sorry,” Nicole whispered before moving to pull herself off of Waverly, but the other girl tightened her grip on Nicole’s arms.

“I’m going to be really upset if this is just a super vivid dream and we could have had sex,” Waverly said. “Are you sure you’re real?”

“Unfortunately, yes, darlin’,” Nicole whispered, eyes flickering down to Waverly’s lips. _Stop it,_ she chastised herself, You can’t kiss a girl in a coma!

Nicole groaned and rolled off of Waverly, both of them staring up at the nonexistent ceiling for a moment as they tried to get over the awkwardness of the situation.

“So…” Waverly started softly. “Why don’t you tell me everything you’ve seen? Then I can decide if you’re real or not.”

Nicole laughed and turned her head just enough to look at Waverly. “Deal”


	3. we may be hopeless hearts just passing through

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone!!
> 
> Thank you again for sticking with me on this crazy ride!
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

_Extreme exhaustion-_

_Minor frostbite on her left hand-_

_At least it’s not my writing hand,_ she thought to herself, still in a haze and not quite sure where she was. _Or my fucking hand._

If she could laugh she would, but Nicole was frozen. Literally and figuratively it seemed. There was a constant chill in her body that wouldn’t go away. A tight pinch in her arm made her flinch before everything went silent again.

***

“So...you’ve had other dreams about me?” Nicole asked with a hint of a smirk tilting her lips.

Waverly blushed and rolled her eyes. This new verbal Dream Nicole was _much_ more interesting than her other iterations. Still. “You in my other dreams was not half this cocky.”

“It’s just a question,” Nicole said, smile still present, turning her head to look at Waverly. Brown eyes darted over Waverly’s body and they both blushed. “And were we dressed like this in all of them?”

They were still laying side by side on the carpet, fire flickering and warming them in the background somewhere. Waverly remembered her own state of undress, even if she really didn't mind that Nicole was in a similar state, and reached besides her where she just _knew_ there would be blankets. Even if there weren’t any there previously. She tossed Nicole one and draped one over herself just as Nicole shivered despite the fire behind them.

“Happy?” Waverly asked.

“I wasn’t complaining,” Nicole said, wrapping the blanket around herself.

Waverly shot her a look as she turned onto her side, head propped up on her elbow as she looked at Nicole. “To answer your previous question, yes...I’ve...had other dreams about you.” Waverly shrugged, trying to play it off. “But like...you were super boring in them. Which is why it’s weird that you’re suddenly so...vocal.”

“And _I’m_ just confused as to why Dream Waverly is so aware it’s a dream,” Nicole said with a raise of her eyebrow.

Waverly just looked at Nicole for a moment. This whole thing was very odd. Waverly had been in this weird dream state for...well she actually wasn’t sure. It felt like it could have been forever or a day and she would believe either one. Time felt funny here. Almost as funny as never being tired. That was a weird sensation.

“Why are you so sure that you’re the one in the dream?” Waverly asked.

“Probably the same reason you are,” Nicole said with a shrug.

Waverly strained her mind at the conundrum they were in. How do you disprove someone was...well was real? She gently mused on the fact that she thought she was finally getting a sex dream when instead it looked like she was just getting some sort of weird puzzle. Just her luck.

“This being in a coma is a real bitch,” Waverly muttered to herself. 

“I wonder if I’m in a coma,” Nicole asked aloud, even if it seemed like a more private thought.

“Why is this dream so different?” Waverly asked, reaching up to brush her fingers along Nicole’s cheek without thought. She was a figment of her imagination after all. It wasn’t like she was actually touching her. But it just felt so real. Far more real than every other time she had touched her in her dreams. Waverly would reach for her and even if in her mind she knew she was touching her...she couldn’t feel it.

But now as Waverly dragged the sensitive tips of her fingers against Nicole’s cheek, she could only think of how...soft and warm she was. So real. She jerked her hand away like she’d been burned, eyes wide.

What if Nicole _was_ real?

Waverly pinched the bridge of her nose briefly, mind wandering back to all the other interactions she’d had with Dream Nicole up until this point. She blushed and opened her eyes to look back at Nicole.

“So...in my other dreams there were certain things I-...we...couldn’t do,” Waverly began, blush deepening at Nicole’s confused look.

“Like what?”

“Like...kiss,” Waverly whispered with an awkward smile. A slow smile grew on Nicole’s face and Waverly only got more embarrassed. She _really_ hoped this Nicole was fake.

“You tried to kiss me?” Nicole asked, dark eyebrow raised.

Waverly rolled her eyes and tried to play it off. “You try being stuck by yourself in this weird world and see what you resort to as a form of coping.” Waverly faltered with a squint. “Not that you’re um...something to resort to...you know?”

Nicole’s smirk somehow got wider. “Uhuh.”

“Whatever,” Waverly scoffed. “It was just once.” She paused. “Or twice...either way. We were never able to actually...kiss. Every time-...the _two_ times I tried you’d disappear as soon as I went to kiss you.”

“I see,” Nicole said slowly, still smirking.

“So.” Waverly couldn’t help the small devilish smile that tipped her lips as she carefully considered her next words. She figured at best...this was a dream and Dream Nicole would float out of her consciousness like she did every other time Waverly had tried this. At worst...well she got to kiss Nicole and it was a little embarrassing. Or maybe Nicole would like it and it wouldn’t be embarrassing at all. Or maybe...maybe she didn’t need words at all. 

Waverly took a deep breath and without a second thought she leaned forward towards Nicole’s lips. Waverly noticed the way lights popped behind her eyelids first. Even before she realized she was kissing Nicole. _Actually_ kissing her.

She pulled back quickly in shock, hand flying to her lips. They tingled and she pressed her fingertips to them briefly.

“Maybe you...are real?” Waverly whispered, eyes wide.

Nicole’s eyes were also wide, smirk wiped completely off her face. But the smirk appeared slowly. “You know. If you want to check again I won’t complain.”

Waverly was sure she never blushed so deeply. She just gaped at Nicole for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Did she just-

“Nicole Haught! How did you get into my dream?” Waverly practically squealed, feeling exposed suddenly as she held her blanket up closer to her chest.

“Just lucky I guess,” Nicole said with that same smirk that really was infuriating. Infuriatingly attractive. 

“I’m sorry I kissed you,” Waverly said.

“Are you?”

“...Not really,” Waverly admitted with a small smile and a blush.

Nicole smiled wider. “Me either.”

***

The sound of the man’s fist hitting the table with a closed fist echoed through the cavernous room. Gretta was sitting on a large armchair and staring into the fire. She looked over at him, bored.

“How did they find each other-- still!?” he seethed.

Gretta picked at her nails. “We knew keeping them apart was going to be an issue. I don’t know why you’re acting surprised, Sandy-”

“Do _not_ call me that!” he said as he glided over to the grandfather clock and pulled open the door in the front. There were hourglasses of various sizes and designs lining shelves. He ran his long bony fingers over them before plucking two separate ones out of the shelves. Carrying them over to the table, he set them down.

Gretta rolled her eyes and watched, wondering how long until she was going to have to fix this for the both of them again.

***

“So you...passed out? Why?” Waverly asked, fiddling with the edge of her blanket. Another piece of the puzzle she needed, to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

“I haven’t been sleeping,” Nicole said nonchalantly, “Not...entirely sure why. Dolls seemed a little weirded out. But at least I’m sleeping now.”

Waverly sat up a little. “You talked to Dolls about it?”

Nicole just nodded and Waverly folded her legs under her, pushing some hair behind her ear as she thought. She didn’t even notice as the blanket fell around her waist, leaving her bra exposed.

“When did this start?” Waverly asked with a tilt of her head. Nicole’s cheeks flushed as her eyes widened. 

“The night of your accident, actually.”

Something in the back of Waverly’s brain sparked like an old stove. She shut her eyes as she tried desperately to remember. A line in a book...a passing comment during a case...what was it?

“That’s weird, right?” Nicole interrupted. Waverly opened her eyes and blinked at her. The fireplace behind them began to fade and she rubbed her eyes, thinking it was a trick of the light. But when she opened her eyes again it was completely gone. Instinctively she reached out and grabbed Nicole’s hand.

“Something’s happening,” Waverly whispered as Nicole began to fade too. Her heart spiked in fear. “No no no.”

“Waverly?” Nicole whispered. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know-” Waverly said just as Nicole completely disappeared. “Fuck!”

She looked down at her own hands and they faded away. 

“Shit balls,” she managed just as everything went black.

*** 

“And you’re sure this will work?” Gretta said, elbows leaning on the table where the tall man was filling up an hourglass.

“Why must you always question me?” he asked, voice scratchy like a nail on metal.

Gretta frowned and looked up at him. “Because things haven’t exactly gone to plan yet.”

“All I’m doing is keeping them apart. It’s nothing I haven’t done before,” he gritted.

Gretta pushed herself off the table, twirling on her heel to walk back towards her spell book on a seperate table. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

Waverly blinked and rubbed her eyes. Had she been day dreaming? But Wynonna’s voice brought her back to the moment.

“So let me get this straight,” Waverly clarified, watching Wynonna dig into the pocket of her leather pants. Waverly was actually surprised there were real pockets in those pants at all considering the way they practically clung to Wynonna’s skin. “You want me to bid on you?”

“Yep,” Wynonna said as she pulled a few crinkled bills from her pocket and threw them on the kitchen table where Waverly was sitting. 

Waverly frowned. “I’m supposed to bid on a _date_ with my _sister_?”

Wynonna rolled her eyes and sat down in a chair at the table. “When you put it that way, it seems weird.”

“It is weird.”

“It’s not _that_ weird,” Wynonna argued, crossing her arms over her chest, “It’s not like...a real date or anything. It’s just for charity.”

“It’s a stupid patriarchal tradition is what it is,” Waverly said taking the crumpled bills and adding them to the stack of money in front of her, “It’s archaic and honestly, it borders on barbaric.”

“Alright, sister suffragette, let’s not get our bloomers in a bunch,” Wynonna said with a playful smirk, “They’re auctioning off men _and_ women and Nedley practically forced me into it. Trust me, I didn’t _want_ to actively participate in this small town nonsense.”

Waverly sighed. “Fine. So when is this thing?”

“Tomorrow at noon,” Wynonna said reaching for her coffee cup and holding it against her chest. Her fingers tapped on the yellowing porcelain of the cup as her eyes softened. “And um...thank you or whatever. You know I’m sure people don’t want to eat lunch with the crazy Earp. I don’t know why Nedley is making me do this.”

Waverly felt her own heart break a little in her chest and she shook her head. She offered her sister a small smile and easy shrug. “They just don’t know what they’re missing,” Waverly said with a wink.

Wynonna rolled her eyes but Waverly saw the hint of a smile tug at her lips.

“What are you doing for the picnic basket?” Waverly asked.

“I figured I’d just pick some snacks up at the gas station.” Wynonna took a sip of her coffee. Waverly frowned.

“I’m spending two hundred dollars to sit in the park with you and eat gas station food?” Waverly asked flatly.

“I know. You’re super lucky,” Wynonna said with a wink. Waverly just sighed and smoothed out the money again.

***

Waverly huffed as she took a seat at the back of the town hall, other people filling in around her. Nedley stood at the front of the hall with Chrissy, the two in serious discussion. Waverly wondered what could be so serious about the Annual Bachelor and Bachelorette Basket Raffle.

It happened every year. The Purgatory Sheriff Department would gather all the single deputies and raffle them off. Well...technically they would raffle off whatever picnic basket the bachelor or bachelorette had made with the promise of their company. It made it seem less creepy, but Waverly didn’t see it that way. To her it was still a weird small town tradition that didn’t quite still stand up in this day and age. For the most part it seemed harmless, even with Tucker Gardner lurking in the corner.

There were a few times Nedley had hinted at Waverly to sign up, saying it was for a good cause, but she always found a reason not to. Sure the money went straight to the Sheriff Department but she couldn’t risk being stuck eating lunch with Tucker or Carl or one of the other town idiots.

As people found their seats, Waverly looked at the sacrifices they were offering up this year. All of them sat at the front of the room, their picnic baskets between their feet. Wynonna was sitting at the very end, slouching in her chair with a plastic bag tucked carelessly under her chair. Waverly rolled her eyes and scanned the rest of the PSD Deputies that were participating this year. Her eyes stopped on a redheaded woman in the line up.

Nicole Haught had come into Shorty’s a couple of days before to introduce herself. Waverly had, of course, made a fool out of herself and spilled beer all over her front. Her face was red the entire time they interacted and Waverly had been actively avoiding Nicole in town for fear of embarrassing herself again. Which, clearly, was the right choice since she was blushing just from looking at her. It didn’t help that it looked like she was wearing some sort of dress uniform. A steely blue color with long sleeves and a tie.

Waverly would have never considered herself...pathetic. Even in her worst moments with Champ. But she blamed that on naivety. She was _twenty-one_ now. An adult. She had to leave her childish decisions like Champ in the past. That meant not making a fool out of herself over a pretty girl. Though it seemed like she couldn’t help herself if this was any indication.

The microphone feedback rang through the town hall and everyone collectively groaned. Nedley cleared his throat as he adjusted the microphone and shot a look at Lonnie as if the feedback was somehow his fault. Waverly sat back in her seat and forced her eyes away from the redhead.

“Alright, everybody,” Nedley said, “Thank you for coming to our Annual Purgatory Sheriff Department Basket Auction. This is always a great event every year for the department. Last year with the money that was graciously donated, we got new computers for our cruisers. This year we hope to buy new bullet proof vests.”

There was a polite applause from the crowd and Nedley nodded his thanks.

“So, without further ado, let’s get to it,” Nedley said putting his reading glasses on. “First up, we have Lonnie.”

Lonnie walked up to the front next to Nedley and Waverly’s hands twitched in her lap. Her eyes kept wandering over to Nicole who looked like she was fidgeting too. Every few moments she would adjust her tie or run a hand through her hair. Waverly’s eyes followed her movements, at the way her long fingers twisted and pulled at the fabric of her tie. In the back of her mind she heard talking and applause before Nicole stood up quickly, basket tight in her hand.

“Ah,” Nedley smiled as Nicole stood up and walked towards the front where he stood with his microphone. “Here we have Purgatory Sheriff Department’s newest deputy, Nicole Haught. Bidding on her basket will start at ten dollars.”

“Ten!” Waverly shouted, hand going up so fast that she shocked herself. 

It felt like everyone in the town hall turned to stare at her as she stood there with her hand raised over her head like an overeager idiot. She blushed, eyes catching with Nicole’s. The redhead looked at her for only a moment before a slow smile spread over her face to reveal dimples on her cheeks. Waverly just blushed deeper.

“Alright,” Nedley said clearing his throat so everyone turned back towards the front, “We have ten. Do I hear fifteen?”

“Fifteen!” Carl said with a smug look on his face.

Waverly frowned and thrust her hand in the air again. “Thirty!”

Nicole’s eyes were back on her, smirk still in place, and Waverly felt her entire body flush.

“Thirty-five!” Carl said shooting Waverly a look over his shoulder.

“Forty!” Waverly said before she could even stop herself.

Wynonna caught her eye, mouthing, ‘ _What are you doing?_ ’ 

Waverly shrugged and shook her head at Wynonna as Carl shouted, “Fifty!”

Carl’s buddy cackled and thumped him on the back like he had just scored a touchdown. Waverly felt anger flaring in her chest. That combined with her competitive nature were a deadly combination.

“Two hundred!” Waverly shouted.

And apparently an expensive one.

Nicole’s eyebrows shot into her hairline, shock wiping the smirk from her face. Waverly’s phone buzzed and she took it from her pocket to quickly look at the text from Wynonna.

_Wynonna: I know you’re thirsty but that money is supposed to be for my basket!_

“We have two hundred dollars! Do I hear two ten?” Nedley said looking around the room. Carl crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked like he was grumbling. Waverly smiled to herself as Nedley counted off. “Going once, going twice...sold! To Ms. Waverly Earp for...two hundred dollars.”

Waverly couldn’t help but look back at Nicole who had that smug smile back on her face. Why was it so goddamn attractive? Maybe it was the gentle slope of her nose or the way her copper hair stood stark against pale skin. Waverly realized she was staring when Nicole was ushered back to her chair by Chrissy. She caught Chrissy’s eye and saw her friend eyeballing her with a knowing look on her face that just embarrassed Waverly even more.

“And next we have Special Deputy Wynonna Earp,” Nedley said gesturing for Wynonna to stand up. She rolled her eyes and stood up from her chair, practically marching over to the front where Nedley was. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and a light blush dusting her cheeks. “Bidding will start at ten dollars.”

“Ten dollars!” Waverly said, raising her hand feebly. She tried to remember how much she had made in tips at Shorty’s the night before, quickly doing a calculation in her head. 

“Ten dollars. Do I hear fifteen?” Nedley said looking out at the crowd. Wynonna shot her a pleading look after Carl raised his hand. 

“Fifty!” A booming voice called out from the doorway. Waverly turned and saw Dolls leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and the same hard look he always wore. She turned back to Wynonna, eyebrows raised questioningly.

Nedley straightened a little. “Fifty! Do I hear sixty?”

Carl looked annoyed to be being outbid again and Waverly smiled widely at Wynonna, who stood stiffly on the stage, hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket. 

“Sixty!” Dolls said, small smile growing on his face. 

“Um, Special Agent, that ain’t exactly how this-“

“One hundred,” Dolls interrupted. Wynonna rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face. 

“Alright then,” Nedley said, “Going once. Going twice. Sold! To Special Agent Dolls.”

Again, there was the smattering of polite applause and Wynonna dusted off her shoulders as she strutted back to her seat. Even in the back, Waverly could hear Wynonna bragging to Nicole: “Guess you’re not the only _Haught_ ticket item tonight.”

Waverly groaned and sunk a little lower in her seat as Nedley moved on to the next deputy. For the rest of the auction, Waverly just sat fidgeting in her seat and trying not to look over at Nicole. She really hadn’t thought through this whole...basket buying thing. Because now she had to go sit with Nicole alone somewhere and actually carry on a conversation with her without sounding like a crazy person. Waverly wasn’t convinced that was something she could do. Not if bidding two hundred dollars on a girl she barely talked to before was any indication of her sanity. 

No. Not on the girl. On the basket. _Triscuits_ , she was beginning to sound like an idiot already. 

“Alright everyone,” Nedley said loudly, bringing Waverly from her daydream, “That's it for this year. Thank you again for coming out. Please leave your donations with Chrissy before you leave with your basket.”

Waverly shot up in her seat and dodged around people to get to Chrissy first. She was sitting at a fold away table with a cash box and a clipboard with who knew what on it. Chrissy looked at her, eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face. 

“Eager much?” Chrissy said simply. Waverly blushed and leaned forward, palms down on the table. 

“I just...this is embarrassing, isn’t it?” Waverly whispered. “I spent the most on a basket like a crazy person. Nicole is totally gonna know that-...that-...”

She trailed off. That Waverly what? Wanted to run her hands through her hair and draw her close? Or just look in her eyes and talk about their favorite classes in school? 

“That you totally want to bone her?” Chrissy said lowly with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows. 

“No!” Waverly hissed. Though now that Chrissy said it, Waverly couldn’t help but imagine herself on top of Nicole. Or Nicole on top of her. Shit. Oh fiddlesticks, Chrissy was staring at her _like that_ again. 

“Is it obvious that I like her?” Waverly said as she pulled the wad of cash she was supposed to have spent on Wynonna out of her purse and tossed it onto the table. 

“Not _that_ obvious,” Chrissy lied badly. Waverly groaned and covered her face with her hands. Chrissy reached for Waverly’s arm and pulled her hands away from her face. “Listen, it’ll be fine.”

Waverly sighed and nodded at Chrissy’s sympathetic look. “I hope so.”

“It will be,” Chrissy said firmly as she wrote out a receipt for Waverly, “I’ve seen her making eyes at you.”

“Really?” Waverly breathed out. 

Chrissy nodded. “I actually heard her asking about you in the station a couple of days ago.”

Waverly tried to hold back her smile, biting on her lip to no avail. Chrissy giggled and handed Waverly her receipt with a flourish. Waverly quickly stuffed it in her pocket without a second look and ran a quick hand through her hair. 

“Okay. I’ll try to play it cool,” Waverly said adjusting her top. Chrissy winked at her and tilted her chin to point behind Waverly. She blushed before she even turned around and saw Nicole standing there, all tall and attractive. Waverly smiled and clasped her hands nervously in front of her. 

“Hey, Waverly,” Nicole said, voice smooth and easy. Waverly sighed. 

“H-hey,” she said stepping away from the table so that the people behind her could pay. She tried to look cool and casual like she didn’t just spend two hundred dollars to spend time with Nicole. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. “Thank you for joining me.”

Waverly cursed herself. As if Nicole had a damn choice in the matter. Waverly _paid_ to spend time with her. She blushed and suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.

“My pleasure,” Nicole said offering her elbow to Waverly, basket in her other hand. “Should we go and enjoy lunch?”

Waverly stared at the arm being offered to her for just a beat too long before taking it. Her breath stuttered nervously as her hand fit into the crook of Nicole’s arm, the other woman looking at her with a smile the entire time. Waverly smiled back up at her as she felt some of her nerves dissipate.

“Let’s go,” Waverly said as Nicole led her out of the building. As she passed Wynonna talking to Dolls, her sister wiggled her eyebrows at Waverly. She tipped her chin in acknowledgement at Nicole.

“Hey, Haught stuff, remember my sister paid good money for you,” Wynonna smirked, “She’s a little bit of a nerd but she’s worth it.”

“Wynonna!” Waverly hissed, nerves back aflame and cheeks burning. Wynonna laughed and Nicole kept walking, a small smile apparent on her lips.

“Sorry about her,” Waverly said, trying to play it off even as she felt how hot her face was. “She’s...she’s Wynonna!” Waverly chuckled and looked down at her feet before mumbling. “And I’m going to kill her later.”

“What?”

“Nothing!” Waverly said quickly, offering up a quick smile as they walked out of the Town Hall. They ended up walking towards Nicole’s cruiser and she held the door open for Waverly.

“I actually have a place in mind to eat if you don’t mind a little drive?” Nicole asked, a hopeful tone to her voice.

Waverly smiled and realized in a scary split second that she would go anywhere with Nicole right now. “Of course.”

“Really?” Nicole said, voice soft, “I mean...great. Let’s go then.”

She waited until Waverly was in the car and shut the door for her. Nicole got in the car, set the basket in the back and put on some soft music. The ride out of town was fairly quiet with just a little polite conversation. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, Waverly filled the quiet moments with her own nervous thoughts anyways. Her eyes would wander to Nicole’s hands on the steering wheel and wonder what it might be like if she just...laced their fingers together.

“Alright, here we are,” Nicole said as she put the car in park. Waverly hadn’t even noticed they’d driven through some woods to a clearing on a hill that overlooked a river and more nature. Waverly’s breath caught in her throat just looking at it. “Hope you don’t mind that I went a little out of the way.”

“Not at all,” Waverly said. Nicole got out of the car and rushed over to Waverly’s side to open the door once more. Waverly’s cheeks tinted at the easy display of chivalry and she smiled in thanks as she got out of the car. Nicole reached into the back for the basket and a blanket, leading Waverly towards the front of the car as she laid out the blanket.

“Wow,” Waverly said as she sat down on the blanket, legs crossed in front of her. “You really went all out.”

Nicole shrugged as she sat besides Waverly, the basket between them. “Well, it’s safe to say that if Carl had won the basket, I certainly wasn’t going to be bringing him here.”

Waverly chuckled and shook her head. “Stupid Carl.”

Nicole brought the food out, some wrapped sandwiches and tubs of sides. It definitely looked like she had taken some time to put it together, unlike Wynonna’s “basket” of Slim Jims and Corn Nuts that Dolls was probably choking down at the moment.

“What would you have done? If it was Carl?” Waverly asked curiously.

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Eaten the basket in the Sheriff Department parking lot,” she admitted, handing Waverly a sandwich. “I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” Waverly said a little too eagerly as she took the food. Nicole smiled at her, dimples popping, and Waverly almost dropped the carefully wrapped sandwich. She cleared her throat and forced her eyes away as Nicole dug in the basket once more and brought out two thermoses. 

“Also, if you’re interested,” she handed Waverly one of the thermoses shyly, “There _might_ be wine in this.”

Waverly gaped at Nicole as she took the container. “Officer Haught. Look at you.”

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I wasn’t sure what I might have needed to get me through this,” she admitted, “Again, I can’t express how thankful I am that you won.”

“I had a few spare dollars laying around,” Waverly joked as she unwrapped her sandwich.

Nicole laughed and Waverly was sure she’d make a fool of herself a thousand times more just to hear that.

“Well I’m glad you did,” Nicole said smiling over at Waverly.

“Me too,” Waverly agreed as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“Although, it would have been much cheaper for you if you had just taken me up on that coffee date instead,” Nicole teased.

_Date._

Waverly choked and tried to cover it up as a cough. She quickly flipped open a thermos and took a sip, hoping to wash some of the food down. Nicole, concerned, started rubbing her back which only made it harder to breathe.

“I’m fine,” Waverly coughed, “Sorry, wrong pipe.”

Nicole nodded in understanding and carefully chewed her own food while eyeing Waverly carefully. Waverly finally managed to get herself under control and smiled awkwardly at Nicole.

“I’m sorry you paid two hundred dollars to eat with me and then my sandwich almost killed you,” Nicole joked with a soft smile.

Waverly chuckled and took another long sip of the wine from the thermos. “It will still have been worth it.”

The two wore matching blushes as they launched into much easier topics of conversation. They talked about everything. Work, school...life. Waverly was a little overwhelmed with how easy it was to talk to Nicole. There was never an awkward lull in the conversation, it all flowed naturally. Something that Waverly hadn’t experienced before except maybe with Chrissy or Wynonna.

They both sipped on the wine as the day went on, the sun starting to slip below the distant mountains. At one point they had moved so they were leaning against the front of the cruiser, arms just barely touching. Waverly resisted the urge to lean into the redhead, especially as the air got chillier. She shivered a little bit and Nicole stood up so fast Waverly almost fell over. She subtly put her hand to her mouth and checked her breath to make sure _that_ wasn’t what drove Nicole away before looking over her shoulder. Nicole was leaning into the trunk but before Waverly could even ask, Nicole was shutting the trunk and coming back around her car.

“Where’d you go?” Waverly asked softly. Nicole held up a blanket and draped it over Waverly’s shoulders.

“You were shivering,” Nicole said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Waverly felt herself warm from more than just the blanket settling over her shoulders. She snuggled down into the blanket, peering over the edge at Nicole.

“Thank you.” 

“Least I could do for two hundred bucks,” Nicole teased.

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Waverly said, squinting up at Nicole as she settled back next to her. Over the couple of hours they’d been up there, Nicole’s sleeves had ended up rolled up to her elbows, tie loosened and top button of her dress shirt undone. Her hair was a little windblown, nose pink from the chilling air, and Waverly had never been more charmed.

Nicole smiled. “Maybe after you finally agree to go to coffee with me.”

Waverly ducked her head shyly and nudged Nicole’s shoulder with her own. “Like a...date?”

Her voice tapered off into a whisper, fingers fidgeting shyly in her lap. She watched as emotions bloomed beautifully over Nicole’s face, growing and blossoming her into a creature more beautiful than Waverly thought possible.

“Like a date,” Nicole confirmed softly. 

“I would love that- like! I would like that,” Waverly said, tongue tripping over her words as she rambled nervously. “That would be...great.”

“Good,” Nicole said suppressing a small shiver of her own. Waverly caught the movement in a moment and opened up her blanket for Nicole to join her. Brown eyes looked into hazel for a moment, searching and seeking for permission. Waverly just looked back, hoping Nicole saw whatever she had been looking for. Apparently she did, because Nicole gripped the edge of the blanket and pulled it over her own shoulder. 

Nicole ended up pressed into Waverly’s side, blanket draped over both of their shoulders. Waverly felt chills run up her spine, heat riding out of her collar. They settled next to each other and watched as the sunset sunk further, the sky streaking purple and orange.

“It’s beautiful,” Waverly said absently.

“Yeah,” Nicole whispered. Waverly was hyper aware of how their legs bumped together with each little movement and how their hands were resting on their thighs just so close to each other.

Waverly felt Nicole’s eyes on her but when she turned to look at her the redhead quickly looked away, her neck tinting red. She tried to hold back her smile, but there was no chance of it when she felt Nicole’s pinky slowly stretch out and stroke the side of her own. Waverly turned her palm over and Nicole’s hand slid over her own. Their palms bumped and fit perfectly together, fingers lacing tightly.

Biting her lip, Waverly held back a smile and enjoyed the way it felt like electricity was coming from Nicole’s fingers and running through her own veins. She pulled their joined hands into her lap and let the fingers of her other hand lightly run over the back of Nicole’s hand. The familiarity of it all threw Waverly off a little bit, but she didn’t mind it. Not in the least bit.

“Have you ever met someone and instantly knew in your heart that they meant something to you?” Waverly asked, catching herself off guard with the question. 

Nicole chuckled, “Yeah. I might know something about that.”

All of a sudden the world tilted under Waverly and she found herself leaning into Nicole, clinging to her hand. Waverly shook her head with a small frown, wondering if this was just some odd response to being so close to Nicole. The warm scent of vanilla filled her lungs just as Nicole looked down at her. Her vision narrowed to a pinpoint, Nicole at the center as the rest of the world melted around her.

“Waves,” Nicole said, eyes darting over her face as she licked her lips, “can I kiss you?”

Waverly nodded perhaps a little too eagerly and cupped Nicole’s strong jaw with her hand. The redhead leaned forward and kissed the tip of Waverly’s nose, a gesture that felt far more intimate than an actual kiss in that moment. Waverly swallowed thickly as Nicole’s nose bumped over her own and their lips brushed lightly. Her eyes fluttered shut, ears only hearing Nicole’s shallow breathing before their lips finally connected. The kiss was sweet and it felt like a thousand lights were popping in front of Waverly’s eyelids.

It was magic and just...so _familiar_.

Waverly’s fingers curled over the edge on Nicole’s jaw, head filling with thoughts about just how _soft_ and inviting her lips were. Her entire body was responding to Nicole’s touch, especially when Nicole’s tongue brushed against her lips. Waverly shuddered and drew herself closer to Nicole, lips parting and tongue meeting Nicole’s as they gently explored each other.

After a moment, Waverly pulled away breathless. Her eyes were still closed and their foreheads were pressed together and still...Waverly couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity. Something that should be so comforting but felt so...off. At the same time she didn’t want to leave Nicole’s presence, like if she was any further away from her she might float away.

Their hands remained clasped between them as their eyes opened. Nicole’s lips were tinted red and swollen, eyes shining as she looked at Waverly. The sunset reflected in her brown eyes, the setting sun casting gold flecks through them and Waverly was sure she couldn’t breathe.

“Nicole,” Waverly said, pushing some red hair behind her ear. “This feels...so right.”

“I know.”

“It’s...weird.”

“I know.”

Waverly licked her lips and managed to pull her sight away from Nicole to look back at the sun. Her hand curled around the back of Nicole’s neck to keep her close, forehead on Waverly’s temple.

She gasped, eyes trying to figure out what she was looking at. 

The mountains and sun were pixelating like a bad computer program. Information breaking into tiny squares of color, twisting and disappearing into blackness. Waverly gasped and Nicole finally turned to look. Waverly felt Nicole’s pulse quicken against her palm, their still clasped hands tightening even more.

“Shit biscuits,” Waverly breathed.

As the horizon disappeared, little bits of Waverly’s memory started coming back. Hazy...like wisps of smoke that were clear up close but dissipated as they floated away. The harder Waverly tried to reach for them, the faster they disappeared. But she saw Nicole, those same brown eyes staring back at her and making her feel safe. The pixelating got closer and closer, everything around them disappearing. The blackness was close to the cliff they were on and somehow Waverly knew that even if they ran, it wouldn’t make a difference. Like they had done this a thousand times before.

Waverly looked back at Nicole, their eyes meeting once more.

“I’m scared,” Waverly admitted. “I-...I remember things.”

“I know, me too,” Nicole said. She cupped Waverly’s cheek and kissed her again. This kiss was different. Firm and promising. It was _safety_.

Nicole pulled away and smiled at Waverly. “Waverly. Where you go, I go. Okay?”

Waverly felt an easy warmth fill her just by looking in Nicole’s eyes, even as she felt the darkness closing in on them.

“Do you believe me?”

“I believe you,” Waverly whispered.

“Do you trust me?”

“More than anything.”

Nicole’s smile widened, a stark contrast from the impending darkness around them. She leaned forward and kissed Waverly just as the world disappeared and they ceased to exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	4. i think we shared another life (don't you)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“When we touched...in Shorty’s,” Waverly began slowly, “did you...feel anything?”_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _“Stars,” Nicole whispered easily. “Like a galaxy erupted around us and you were the center of it.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Happy Thursday! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I get to go back to something I love. Westerns. :D
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Waverly blinked. She thought she remembered something about...a picnic? After a moment her vision stopped swimming and the sharp smell of cleaning products invaded her nostrils. A hospital. She was in a hospital.

As her brain became aware of it, the image slowly leaked into her vision like ink diffusing in water. She was standing in the middle of a hospital hallway, people walking past her and not giving her a second glance. Great. She was invisible again. Waverly huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest. 

The last thing she remembered...truly remembered...was sitting in a room with Nicole. There was a fireplace...they had kissed.

Waverly touched her fingers to her lips, feeling them tingle at just the memory. She couldn’t help the small smile that passed over her face at the thought of how warm and lovely Nicole’s lips were. Her smile-

“Fuck!” 

Waverly looked up and saw Wynonna down the hall at a vending machine. She was gripping the edges of it on either side with her hands, knuckles white as she kicked the bottom of the machine.

“Stupid! Fucking!”

_Bam_

She kicked it again.

“Ma’am,” a nurse began from behind the desk, voice high in warning.

Wynonna pushed herself off of the machine. “Yeah yeah, I get it. Well get some machinery in here that works and maybe I won’t have to fucking destroy yours every time I want a goddamn bag of chips!”

Waverly sighed and watched as Dolls walked up and put his hand on Wynonna’s arm. She jerked around quickly before realizing it was him, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she turned away from the nurse and towards Dolls. He nodded at the nurse before leading Wynonna away from the vending machine.

“I don’t know what else to do, Dolls,” she muttered. She crossed her arms over her chest as they walked past where Waverly was, her fingers digging into the flesh of her own arms, jaw tight. “We’re no closer to finding out who did this to Waverly.”

“We’re on it, Earp,” Dolls said evenly. “Jeremy and Doc are working tirelessly. We all are-“

“Yeah well it’s not enough,” Wynonna growled, taking a step away from Dolls and going to stand in front of a window that looked into a room. Waverly had a feeling that if she looked through the same window, she’d see herself lying in a bed there. That wasn’t something she was ready for. Yet. 

So she kept her eyes on Wynonna and wandered closer to her. She leaned back against the wall and looked at her sister, blue eyes hard and far away.

“Don’t beat yourself up, please,” Waverly whispered. Even though she knew that her sister couldn’t see her,she wanted to reach out and take Wynonna’s hand. To squeeze it and let her know that she was fine. Lost and...definitely confused, but fine. 

“I’m safe,” Waverly continued, despite her sister’s deafness to her words. “I have someone I think-” 

She paused and thought about Nicole. Where was Nicole now? Would she see her again? And the thing that bothered her the most. _Was she real?_ And if she was… _why?_

“-I think I have someone who can help me.”

“Be strong, baby girl,” Wynonna whispered, voice thick with emotion. Waverly smiled and reached for Wynonna’s hand, still shocking herself a little bit when her hand went right through Wynonna’s. She could feel something else pulling her. Something from far away. Something she couldn’t control. So with one last smile, she blinked and everything went dark.

***

Waverly felt the beat in her chest before anything. A heavy bass reverberating to a steady beat, echoing along the edge of her ribs and rattling around her heart in a way that made her whole body hum.

She blinked a couple of times and realized she was at a concert. An oddly quiet concert. She was surrounded by people...faceless people. But all she could hear was the concert happening on the stage in front of her.

_You know just what to say, things that scare me. I should just walk away, but I can't move my feet-_

She felt a soft touch to the back of her arm and jumped, turning around to see Nicole standing there with wide eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Nicole said. She wasn’t even shouting yet Waverly could hear her perfectly.

Waverly shook her head and smiled. “Sorry just...you never know who’s going to show up in your dreams. Right?”

Nicole wrinkled her nose and looked up at the stage. “This feels more like a nightmare.”

_I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you. Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo-_

Waverly gaped at Nicole, offended. She playfully hit her lightly in the chest. Nicole jumped and chuckled, capturing the offensive hand and keeping it against her chest while Waverly spoke. “This is a great song!”

Nicole shrugged. “Eh.”

Waverly shot her a look and took a small step towards her, not willing to pull her hand away from Nicole’s chest with the way pleasant tingles were shooting up her arm at her touch.

“This is a good song,” Waverly repeated a little more softly.

“She was like...twelve and came out with a song about masturbation,” Nicole pointed out. “In good conscious I can’t support that, Waves.”

There was a soft prickling at Waverly’s scalp at the nickname, but she ignored it. “She’s my age!”

She watched as Nicole’s smile fell and face got pale. “Oh god, are you twelve? Did I kiss a child?”

“No!” Waverly said with a quick shake of her head and a frown. “I’m twenty-two.”

Waverly watched as Nicole’s shoulders relaxed and she looked back at the stage. “This song has been stuck in my head for _days_.”

_By the way, right away, you do things to my body. I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you-_

Waverly frowned for a moment and looked back up at Nicole. “You’ve...had this stuck in your head?”

Nicole nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“How long?” 

Nicole tilted her head in thought and shrugged. “I don’t know. It must have been on the radio when I came into town-”

“So it was after you got to Purgatory?” Waverly asked. Things were starting to click together in Waverly’s brain. Little pieces of information, vaguely linked but she couldn’t quite figure out why...all struggling to find a connection and a way to relate to each other.

“Yeah, I think so.”

_You hit me head on, got me weak in my knees. Yeah, something inside me's changed-_

Without thinking, Waverly entwined her fingers with Nicole’s and pulled her along through the crowd. They wove through the oddly silent crowd and off to the side. Waverly pushed through a door that she just knew would take her where they needed to be. Sure enough, as soon as they were through the door they were back in the same library from before. The one Waverly had already spent far too much time in.

She heard Nicole gasp behind her, but her brain was still running through all the pertinent information it was trying to piece together.

Nicole had that song stuck in her head for as long as Waverly had...since Nicole came into town. Since Nicole crossed the Ghost River border.

That wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be. 

Waverly stood in the middle of the library for a moment, fingers still interlaced with Nicole’s as she absently rubbed her thumb over the side of the other woman’s hand. Part of her brain told her she should be embarrassed at how bold she was being, but Nicole’s hand felt good in hers and that’s all that mattered at the moment. That and figuring out what that damn book was…

“Aha!” Waverly exclaimed, pulling Nicole to the table near the tall fireplace at the end of the library. The books she had been looking at before were still stacked together haphazardly. The Kama Sutra sat open and she blushed, trying to close it as subtly as possible without Nicole noticing. But there was a knowing smirk on Nicole’s face when she turned to look at her.

“I spent a lot of time in here,” Waverly said with a shrug, finally dropping Nicole’s hand to sort through the piles of books. Nicole leaned back on the table, close to her so that their arms brushed. Brown eyes looked at her intently and Waverly raised an eyebrow at her. “Yes?”

“How am I supposed to be sure you’re real?” Nicole asked with that same smirk. 

Waverly’s stomach flipped and she looked back at the books, trying to appear nonchalant. “Guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

Nicole hummed. “I don’t know, I seem to remember there being a way to tell,” she said, eyes flickering down to Waverly’s lips. 

Her ears tinted and she bit her lip to keep down her own smile. _Don’t get distracted, Waverly,_ she chastised. _But oh, what a lovely distraction she is._

“Are you flirting with me, Nicole Haught?” Waverly said with a small lilt to her voice just to make it abundantly clear that she was flirting too.

Nicole’s smirk got wider, eyes never leaving Waverly’s. “Stuck in some kinda weird dream world with the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen? I’d be dumb if I wasn’t.”

Waverly’s heart fluttered and she leaned forward a little bit, her chest just grazing Nicole’s arm. “I guess we should make sure this is real. Just to...be sure.”

Nicole nodded slowly, closing the distance between them until their noses just barely nuzzled together. “Just to be sure.” 

Without another moment wasted, they met each other in the middle, their lips sliding together with a practiced ease that they had no business having. Waverly sighed into the kiss, body molding to Nicole’s front as she skimmed the palms of her hands across the top of her hips and to the small of her back. Nicole’s hands framed her face, fingers just barely curling around her jaw and keeping their faces close. 

There was that small stirring in Waverly’s belly as her hips naturally slotted between Nicole’s legs to get them closer. She could stand there kissing Nicole like this for the rest of her life, but she felt that itch in the back of her brain telling her there was something more important she should be doing.

Slowly, Waverly pulled away. But not before placing several more soft kisses on Nicole’s lips until they were both grinning like idiots. 

“I guess you’re real,” Waverly whispered, running the tip of her tongue over her own lips.

“I don’t know if I’m completely convinced,” Nicole said lowly, leaning forward to kiss Waverly again. Waverly giggled and dodged the kiss so that it landed on the corner of her mouth.

“We have stuff to do,” Waverly protested softly. Nicole’s eyes sparkled with mischief and Waverly rolled her eyes. “Not like that. I have-...there has to be a reason this is happening. I have to figure it out if we don’t want to be stuck here forever.”

Nicole sighed in resignation. Waverly could practically see another quippy, charming comment on the tip of Nicole's tongue but she swallowed it and nodded crisply.

“Alright. What do we need to do?” Nicole said with a smile.

Waverly couldn’t help but lean forward and put one last peck on Nicole’s lips before forcing herself to pull away. She didn’t want to think about how she had literally just met this woman and already couldn’t stop kissing her.

“There’s a book,” Waverly said as she purposefully took a step back from Nicole. The further the distance the better. Even if her hands longed to reach out for her. “It’s something about…” -she squinted, trying to think as the neurons of her brain fired but didn’t quite connect- “...souls? Two souls?”

Nicole narrowed her eyes and turned to look at the books on the table. Waverly stood next to her and began sifting through the books but the one she was looking for wasn’t there.

She ran a hand through her hair and put her hands on her hips with a huff. Of course the _one_ thing she needed was missing. She retreated into the stacks, Nicole close behind. Her finger tips ghosted the edges of the books but nothing was on them. All the spines were blank.

“This dream library is balls,” she said under her breath.

Nicole chuckled and leaned against one of the shelves. “Maybe we can just...dream the book into existence.”

“That’s not a bad thought,” Waverly muttered. She turned towards Nicole and squinted at her. “Will you answer some questions for me?”

Nicole blinked and answered easily. “Always.”

Waverly felt herself blush but continued. “Okay. So you started not being able to sleep the night you came into town? The same night as my accident?”

“Yes,” Nicole said.

“And did I go into a coma that night?”

She could see Nicole thinking for a moment and she nodded simply. “Yeah. They got to your car pretty quickly because you were on the phone with Wynonna. And it was pretty clear as soon as you got to the hospital that your-...your injuries required you to be put into a medically induced coma.”

Waverly pursed her lips. “And you’ve had that song stuck in your head since-“

“-also since I got into town,” Nicole confirmed. She frowned and tilted her head like a confused puppy. “What are you getting at here, Waves?”

Waverly chewed on her lip nervously. “One more question.”

“Okay,” Nicole said just a little cautiously. 

“When we touched...in Shorty’s,” Waverly began slowly, “did you...feel anything?”

“Stars,” Nicole whispered easily. “Like a galaxy erupted around us and you were the center of it.”

Waverly felt her heart flutter, stomach turning as she took another step towards Nicole and brushed the palm of her hand against the tips of her fingers. 

“Me too,” she said with a small smile.

They looked up at each other for a moment with a spark between them that was practically visible. 

Waverly had heard about it before...these kinds of phenomenons. But she’d never considered them...real, necessarily? A fine fantasy to talk about and glom onto but...could it be real? She was afraid to even give it a name...it felt like such a ridiculous concept…

And yet.

She was also afraid to voice it because...how do you tell a woman you just met that you really like kissing and you’re stuck in a coma with that you might actually be...soulmates?

“Nicole,” Waverly started carefully, “I think...we might be-“

And with a blink, everything went black.

*** 

The tall man turned the hourglass angrily, slapping it down on the table and turning back to Gretta, who was picking at her nails.

“Are you ready to try something else yet, Sandy?” She sighed.

He ignored her and flipped the smaller hourglass next to the taller one.

“This is going to work. We just need to keep them apart for just long enough,” he said, voice crackling like a dying fire.

“All Earps are stubborn, true Earps or not,” she pointed out. She sat up a little to reach a spell book on the nearby table and pull it into her lap. She flipped through some pages and hummed to herself. “I have a few things that could help-“

“Not. Yet,” he hissed. “We still have some time.”

Gretta closed the book quickly and shrugged. “Fine. Have fun playing with your little toys for now then.”

The man just looked back down at the hourglasses and waited.

***

Nicole pushed the brim of her hat up and blinked the sun from her eyes. Her vision was swimming for some reason and she rubbed her eyes roughly. Her horse snorted beneath her and she patted his neck absently.

“I know, boy,” she said, turning the reins and directing the horse away from the town. “We’ll be fine.” 

The horse started a slow trot down the well worn dirt road. Nicolee adjusted the cowboy hat, pushing it back down on her head to block the sun from her face. The bandana around her neck stayed where it was, not enough dust kicking up to need it at the moment.

Looking behind her, she made sure her saddle bags were attached. The last thing she needed was to lose what little possessions she had left. At least being run out of town had some perks. Like getting rid of things she didn’t need. Angry men knocking at your door had the tendency to make you grab only your most prized possessions. Sure posing as a man came with its risks, but she hadn’t expected _that_. 

Nevermind though, it was on to the next town. And she was determined not to pose as a man anymore. Maybe she wouldn’t correct people if they assumed she was a man based on her dress...but she wasn’t going to go out of her way anymore. Too many times she let herself get caught up in the skirts of a pretty girl and into trouble. 

“On to the next town,” she muttered to herself as she popped the collar of her thick duster. 

***

Orange streaked across the sky as the sun set behind the desert mountains. The air felt sharper and stung the corners of her eyes, making her squint as they continued down the path. Up ahead she saw something to the side of the road that gave her pause. She pulled on the reins to slow her horse a bit and focused on what looked like an overturned wagon, wheels still turning. 

It felt like a honey trap. 

She let her hand fall to the handle of the pistol on her hip as she slowly approached the overturned wagon. Her ears tried to listen for any sort of sound. Anything to tip her off that there was trouble ahead. 

Pulling the pistol from her holster, she cocked the hammer and held it up at her side. 

“Hello?” she called, voice gruff from disuse.

Hands shot up in surrender on the other side of the wagon, torn lace gloves covering the fingers. “Don’t shoot! I’ve been robbed!”

Nicole watched as a woman with dark brown hair and fancy looking dress slowly walked out from behind. She looked small, mousy...probably not an actual threat. But something still didn’t sit right with her.

“What’s your name?” Nicole asked.

“Beth. Gardner,” the woman said as if it was supposed to mean something. “A bunch of injuns came and attacked my wagon.”

Nicole bristled at the slur and looked around again. To her left were the beginnings of woods, thin trees just beginning to stand tall, and on her right was plains, with mountains in the distance. She turned back towards Beth and tipped her hat with the hand that wasn’t holding her gun. 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” Nicole said, eyes still darting around for any other sort of disturbance. “Do you need a ride somewhere?”

Beth huffed and held out her hand. “Can I jus’ get a hand out of this ditch, sir?”

Nicole didn’t bother correcting, she was used to it with her pants and vest. She looked down at the ditch the wagon and Beth were stuck in. It wasn’t too deep but she knew how women in petticoats tended to be. She knew better than to argue with a lady too. Especially if Beth’s expensive looking dress and wagon were any indication, she certainly wasn’t used to lifting a finger for herself a day in her life.

With one last look around, Nicole slid off the horse who snorted in protest, hooves stomping into the dirt. Nicole patted his neck reassuringly as she slowly made her way over to Beth, gun still drawn. Beth’s eyes darted to it and huffed.

“Seriously?”

“You’ll have to forgive me, ma’am, but you know no one can be too careful aroun’ these parts,” Nicole drawled, attempting to give her the most charming smile she could muster. Beth just huffed again, practically stomping her foot and reaching for Nicole’s hand. Nicole reached out to grasp her hand and just as she did, Beth pulled her forward and off balance, sending her tumbling into the ditch.

“Goddamn it!” Nicole yelled as she fell. “I knew it!”

Her gun was up and in front of her, pointed directly at Beth as she landed on her back in the ditch. But there were two guns in her face. One Beth was holding and she followed the barrel of the other to see a tall, lanky boy attached to it.

“Alright, Tucker, go check her saddle bags,” Beth said firmly.

“Why do I always have to do that?” Tucker complained. Beth rolled her eyes. 

“Because I’m the big sister. Now go,” she growled.

There was the sound of another gun cocking behind Nicole and her stomach dropped. She was definitely outnumbered now. She watched as Beth and Tucker looked at whoever was standing at the top of the ditch behind Nicole, their faces dropping.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to rob people on my land?” a voice came. Nicole felt chills run up her spine at the voice and couldn’t help but look behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a small woman with long, honey brown hair and a shotgun that looked far too large for her staring down the siblings along the barrel.

Beth rolled her eyes. “This is _Earp_ land,” she said haughtily. “Can’t be your land if you’re not even an Earp.”

The brown haired woman showed no sign of backing down. “Get off my land, Beth. You too Tucker.”

Beth scoffed and and dropped her gun in defeat, Tucker quickly following suit.

“This is bullshit!” he said as he shoved his gun back in the holster.

“Now now,” Nicole started, “you are in the presence of ladies.”

Tucker shot her a look that could kill, but Beth grabbed his arm and pushed him towards the edge of the ditch to climb out. Nicole kept her gun trained on the two as they climbed out of the hole and started in the opposite direction. When she was comfortable with how far down the road they were, she finally lowered her gun. She remembered the woman behind her and turned as she put her gun in the holster.

The shotgun stayed trained on Nicole and she tipped her hat to the other woman. “Name’s Haught, ma’am,” she said, voice low. “I do appreciate your assistance. And I assure you that there’s no need to point that in my direction.”

“Can’t be too sure around here,” the woman said, small smile on her face despite the gun propped up on her shoulder. 

Nicole couldn’t help but take her in. The way her white blouse revealed toned arms. Her patterned skirt was hitched up on the side with leather loop to make walking about easier...she was a vision. 

“Can I at least get your name before you shoot me?” Nicole asked with a lopsided smile. She watched color appear in Waverly’s cheeks and the gun fall just a little. 

“Waverly. Waverly Earp,” she said, her voice catching in the wind and floating down to Nicole in a way that made her shiver. 

“Pretty name for a beautiful girl,” Nicole said easily, almost embarrassed by her own brazenness. 

Waverly finally let the gun fall her her side, shoulders relaxing and she smiled down at Nicole. “If you think being charming is going to keep you from being shot then you’re right.”

Nicole chuckled and went to climb out of the ditch. “Yeah well, if it works I’ma willin’ to try.”

She brushed the dirt off her trousers when she got out of the ditch, straightening up to look back at Waverly. Wiping her hand off on her shirt, she offered it to Waverly. 

“Pleasure meeting you, Miss Earp. Thank you for your assistance,” she said gently. 

Waverly looked down at Nicole’s hand before reaching out and taking it. Nicole felt a spark in Waverly’s touch. It felt like the hottest embers off a just lit stove. Not enough to burn, but enough to start a fire if it went unchecked. It made Nicole want to hold on and never let go. To feel the surprisingly soft hand in her own forever. A terrifying concept when she had just met this woman.

She cleared her throat, squeezed Waverly’s hand one last time and dropped it.

“You can call me Waverly, Miss Haught,” she said, eyes a little unfocused. Nicole could swear she had felt something too.

Nicole was a little shocked that Waverly had pegged her as a woman straight away. She cocked her head to the side and rested her thumbs in her belt loops. “Nicole. You can call me Nicole.”

“Nicole,” Waverly said, like she was feeling how the name felt in her mouth. Tasting it on her tongue. “Do you need somewhere to stay for the night?”

For the first time, Nicole noticed that the sun had nearly set and that the air was starting to chill around them.

“That would be just fine, Waverly,” Nicole said with another tip of her hat.

“Good,” Waverly said with a smile and a wink, “Don’t think I was gonna let you go that easily.”

Nicole felt her stomach flip, only partially shocked by Waverly’s forward nature. She licked her lips and walked backwards towards her horse for a moment, brown eyes never leaving hazel. When she got to her horse, she swung herself on and used the reins to turn it towards Waverly. 

Waverly was already on her horse and Nicole wondered where it had come from. But one look at Waverly astride the big chocolate colored horse and Nicole didn’t really care where it came from. Something about a woman sitting confidently on a horse always made her heart beat a little faster.

With a small jerk of her head, Waverly motioned for Nicole to follow her as she kicked her horse into an easy trot. Nicole did the same, her horse galloping a bit to catch up to Waverly’s as they finally settled side by side. They rode in relative silence to the barn, putting both horses into a stall. Nicole blinked and suddenly they were in the house. She looked around, slightly disoriented as to how she got there. She was standing in the middle of a sitting room, a fire roaring and a loveseat against the wall.

Looking down at herself, she noticed her coat and hat were gone, leaving her in just her cotton shirt, vest and trousers. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Waverly walking from the kitchen with two cups in her hand.

“Thank you,” Nicole said taking the cup from her. She took a sip, only partially surprised that it was whiskey. “And thank you for lettin’ me stay the night.”

Waverly shrugged. “It wasn’t completely selfless,” she started. “My sister’s out of town on a job and I don’t much like being alone. Plus...I had a feeling we were…” Waverly stopped and they looked at each other for a moment, Nicole’s heart squeezing in her chest. Waverly frowned, voice soft and searching. “Have you ever...met someone and instantly knew they meant something to you?”

A smile tugged on the corners of Nicole’s lips and she shrugged. “Yeah I might know something about that.”

Waverly nodded, eyes darting down to Nicole’s lips.

Nicole took another long sip of her whiskey, draining the cup as she kept looking into hazel eyes. There was a disturbing familiarity in those eyes. Something that made Nicole want to pull her into her arms and hold her. It seemed impossible that she had only met this woman a few hours ago.

“Waves-”

“Wait,” Waverly said, pressing her finger to Nicole’s lips. “I want-...I need to try something.”

Nicole frowned, but she knew she would do anything Waverly asked. Even if she didn’t know why. Instead she just nodded.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” Waverly whispered, taking a step closer to Nicole so that their fronts were pressed together. Nicole’s entire body flushed with heat and she dropped the cup onto the floor with a clang, but Nicole could barely hear it over the blood rushing in her ears.

“Yes, ma’am,” Nicole said with a lopsided smile, dimples popping as her hands found Waverly’s hips.

Waverly’s lips twitched in a smile. “I should have known you would be charming even as a damn cowboy.”

Nicole tilted her head a little in confusion just as Waverly leaned forward and kissed her. Their lips connected, pressing softly into each other as Nicole felt chills erupt over her body. Waverly’s hands curled into the front of Nicole’s shirt and deepened the kiss. Her tongue flitted along the seam of Nicole’s lips and she opened her mouth to meet it with her own. 

It felt like...deja vu. 

Small pieces of...dreams or memories started to come back to Nicole. Images of Waverly in...very inappropriate clothing. Another fireplace. A library. Kissing Waverly before. Holding her hand.

She pulled away, frowning as she looked down at Waverly. “Wait...I….this is-”

“Weird. Right?” Waverly whispered.

“We’ve done this before,” Nicole blurted. “Is that...possible?”

Waverly shook her head. “Nicole...I-”

She stopped as the world around them began to morph. Like an oil painting with turpentine dripping down it, things became oddly blurred and out of focus only to fade into darkness. Nicole pulled Waverly as tight as she could against her, body stiffening.

“What’s-”

“Ssh,” Waverly hushed, halding Nicole’s face in her hands and pulling their lips together again just as everything went black.

***

Nicole blinked and looked around. She was seated in one of the large plush chairs of the library, with Waverly sitting on the edge of the big table, books piled behind her. She frowned up at the other woman.

“What the _fuck_?” she whispered under her breath.

“I know,” Waverly said, eyes wide. “You look really good as a cowboy.”

“What-?”

“Like...I never thought someone could look that sexy in a cowboy hat-”

Nicole blushed and shook her head. “What the hell is going on?”

Waverly bit her lip and she smiled sheepishly. “I...may have an idea. But...it’s really weird.”

“I don’t think things could get much weirder,” Nicole said with a humorless chuckle. Little did she know those would be her famous last words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	5. the stars choose their lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think the implication of soulmates means we are. This whole...destiny thing. Doesn’t it...bother you? I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own fate. If that’s the case then what’s the point of life? Of any of this? If my entire life is already determined by some sort of unseen cosmic force then what’s the _point_?”
> 
> “The point is that we’re _here_ and we’re meant to be here. Together. Me and you. A-and I don’t know exactly what that means. But if we have to get through this then I’m-...oh shit balls. This may be crazy to say to someone I barely know but...If we have to get through whatever this is, then...I’m glad it’s with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate talk? Smoking behind churches? Pirates? All of the above?
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

“It might get...a little weirder,” Waverly mumbled as she turned to look back at the table. 

Nicole watched her push some things aside, noticing how the muscles of her arms moved under her skin. She got a brief flashback of Waverly in some sort of Old West outfit...a long flowy skirt and a soft looking white blouse that exposed her arms. As soon as the image was there it was gone. She pressed her palms to her eyes, trying to reconjur the scene. It felt so...real. But she could barely remember anything of it.

“Where...were we?” Nicole asked herself. But Waverly looked over at her anyway.

“I don’t know. A dream in a dream?” Waverly guessed, frowning as she looked up at the fire in thought. She shook her head and screwed her eyes shut for a moment. “I’m starting to forget it.”

“Me too,” Nicole said. “What’s...what’s happening?”

Waverly looked back down at her pile of books and gasped, holding a book out in front of her triumphantly before clutching it to her chest. She only held it for a moment before opening it and flipping through some of the pages. Nicole watched as her hazel eyes scanned through the pages, mouth moving as she read soundlessly to herself. 

“Find anything interesting?” Nicole asked, leaning forward a little in her chair with her elbows on her knees. Anything to be closer to Waverly.

Waverly clapped the book shut and slowly turned on her heels towards Nicole. There was an unreadable expression on her face and Nicole watched as her brow furrowed in concern. Nicole’s natural reaction was to reach for her hand and pull Waverly into her lap. She was sure there was something to be said about how comfortable she was with this woman. A woman she just met once in a bar and happened to wake up with in the same dream. Waverly didn’t seem put off by it though, settling herself sideways in Nicole’s lap as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

“What is it?” Nicole asked softly.

Waverly sighed and turned to her suddenly. “Do you believe in...soulmates?”

Nicole blinked at her blankly for a moment, mind going a million miles a second before humor bubbled up in her chest. She practically barked a laugh, manic smile on her face and eyes wide as she stared at Waverly.

“Um...soulmates?” she asked, jaw tight.

Waverly blushed and fiddled with the edge of the book in her lap. “Yeah like...two people who are destined to be together.”

“I know what soulmates are,” Nicole said a little more harshly than she intended. She settled her hand on Waverly’s knee, hoping it would soften the edge to her previous words as she tried to gather her thoughts. 

_Soulmates._

Something that she had always equated to fairy tales and children’s fantasies. Not something that actually had a place in the real world. Even if her entire concept of the “real world” had been turned on its head lately.

She felt Waverly’s warm hand cover her own strangely cold one, and her eyes snapped back to hazel.

“I remembered this book-” Waverly held up the thick, worn looking book with ‘Two Souls’ emblazoned across the cover... but oddly no author name. “-which basically is just an accumulation of all the legends and stories on soulmates. Have you-...have you ever heard of the old wives tale that if you can’t sleep, it’s because you’re awake in your soulmate’s dream?”

Nicole blinked up at Waverly who had her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. “Probably...somewhere. Yeah.”

Waverly licked her lips as she continued. “Well there’s a lot of different lore on soulmates and the significance of them. Plato’s ‘The Symposium’ is probably the earliest recorded idea on the subject. Have you read it?”

Nicole shook her head, equal parts in awe of Waverly and completely overwhelmed by the implication behind her words.

“A long time ago in college,” she said. “Remind me?”

Waverly’s eyes lit up and Nicole couldn’t help but smile at how excited she seemed. She could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

“Well, Aristophanes suggested basically that humans were originally two people together . Four arms, four legs...the whole deal. So this made them super powerful and of course the gods didn’t like that because it meant that humans could destroy them. Of course, the gods didn’t want that, so they thought about destroying them with lightening like they did the Titans. The only thing was...they didn’t want to lose the sacrifices that the humans always made to them,” Waverly’s gesticulated wildly as she spoke and Nicole found it hard to concentrate on what she was saying without smiling like a crazy person.

“They couldn’t have that,” Nicole said. “Give up all that free shit.”

“Exactly,” Waverly breathed. “So Zeus had the perfect solution for this. He decided to split all the humans in half to punish them but also so that the gods would have twice the humans. Twice the humans, twice the tributes.”

“Smart.”

“Right?” Waverly smiled. “Anyways, because of the split, they say that every human will spend their lives searching for their other half. And when they finally find each other, there’s a-...something magical that happens. Like a joy that they didn’t know they could have and an understanding that they can’t have with anyone else. Like a...comfort.”

Waverly trailed off, her hand finding the top of Nicole’s again. Nicole twitched nervously; even the comfort of Waverly’s fingers drawing soft patterns over the top of her hand did nothing to ease her mind at the moment. 

“Are you-...what are you trying to say?” Nicole asked cautiously.

“I mean...don’t you think it’s kinda weird? That we just sort of...found each other? Like this?” Waverly said, eyes still on their hands.

Nicole let out a small laugh. “I mean, I think everything’s been a little weird since I came to Purgatory.”

“Until you came to _me_ ,” Waverly clarified. “You have to admit, Nicole, there’s too much piling up for it to be coincidence.”

“Waves,” Nicole trailed off, not entirely sure where her brain was taking her. This wasn’t logical. Soulmates weren’t _logical_ and soulmates weren’t-... _couldn’t_ be real. “I mean I like you...clearly.” She gestured to Waverly on her lap. “But...soulmates? We barely know each other-”

Waverly slid off of Nicole’s lap and started pacing in front of her. “I know it sounds crazy. I know _I_ sound crazy. But think about it. We’ve had the same song stuck in our heads since you came into town. We both felt _something_ the first time we met. We’re...what I can only describe as lucid dreaming together!”

Nicole felt her stomach turn and she stood up from her chair with a shake of her head. Waverly stopped in front of her, book held up in front of her chest like a shield. “I just...it makes no sense, Waverly. How can-...I don’t like it.”

She saw hurt roll across Waverly’s face and she quickly clarified. “I don’t-...It’s not _you_ ,” she said as she put her hands on Waverly’s shoulders, thumbs rubbing comforting circles over her shirt. “I actually...it feels dumb to say in the circumstances and when I know nothing about you but I _really_ like you, Waverly. I…” Nicole looked down into big hazel eyes while trying to figure out what her heart was trying to tell her. Where her feelings truly were in this situation. She took a deep breath, ready to spill every secret that she had to Waverly. Instead, she said, “Have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”

Waverly’s face fluttered from elation to confusion to realization and Nicole wondered if she was about to be broken up with. Could they...break up?

“You’ve said that to me before,” she breathed.

Nicole frowned and shook her head as little pieces of a memory or a...dream started to come back to her. “I...have. But I don’t remember...when.”

Waverly clutched Nicole’s upper arms and took a step closer to her. “I know I...don’t quite remember it either.”

“Like deja vu.”

“But see! Soulmates!” Waverly said triumphantly before catching herself and visibly calming. “I mean...it’s not like we have to...spend the rest of our-...It’s not like we’re...destined to be together-”

“I think the implication of soulmates means we are,” Nicole barked out a laugh. “And that’s the problem. This whole...destiny thing. Doesn’t it...bother you? I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own fate. If that’s the case then what’s the point of life? Of any of this? If my entire life is already determined by some sort of unseen cosmic force then what’s the _point_?”

“The point is that we’re _here_ and we’re meant to be here. Together. Me and you,” Waverly said a little desperately. “A-and I don’t know exactly what that means. But if we have to get through this then I’m-...oh shit balls. This may be crazy to say to someone I barely know but...If we have to get through whatever this is, then...I’m glad it’s with you.” 

Nicole just stared at Waverly for a moment, her heart beating quickly and stomach warming pleasantly. She had so many things to say but nothing came out and she started to feel lightheaded. It felt like the world was being pulled apart around her and she didn’t think she could speak if she wanted to. Instead she took Waverly’s hips and pulled their bodies flush together to kiss Waverly deeply. She felt Waverly’s hands frame her face and they smiled into the kiss as the world went black.

***

“Shit,” Nicole cursed to herself as she desperately spun the wheel of her lighter. The cigarette bobbed between her lips until the flame finally appeared on the lighter. She sighed in relief and inhaled deeply, the end of the cigarette glowing hot as she snapped shut the top of her lighter and slipped it back into her pocket. 

Her lungs expanded as she took in the smoke. She pinched the cigarette between her fingers and pulled it away to release the smoke. 

She leaned against the uncomfortable stucco of the church and groaned. Her eyes fluttered shut as she breathed in the smell of the smoke. She didn’t even like it that much. Mostly she just liked how it made her parents scoff and give her that disappointed look. 

The back door flung open, hitting the wall roughly and Nicole startled a little. But when she saw a small woman with honey brown hair walk out the door, she smirked. 

“Hey, Waves,” Nicole said as she took another drag of her cigarette. 

Waverly frowned at her and leaned against the building as the door closed behind her. 

“Nicole,” Waverly said firmly, disinterest lilting her voice as she crossed her arms. “Shirking responsibility again I see.”

Nicole scoffed. “I wouldn’t say driving my parents to church and then enjoying some alone time by myself would count as ‘shirking responsibility’,” she pointed out as she pulled the crumpled pack of cigarettes from her back pocket and offered one to Waverly. It earned her a glare so she shrugged and put the pack back in her pocket. “I’m actually being super responsible.”

“How’s that?” Waverly asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Well you see, there’s this cute Sunday school teacher that works here,” Nicole drawled as she turned so that she was facing Waverly. She even took a step closer, making sure to keep the cigarette a little behind her back so that she didn’t get the smoke on Waverly. She watched how Waverly’s cheeks tinted and her throat flexed as she subtly swallowed.

“Oh yeah?” Waverly said airly.

Nicole smiled wolfishly and turned her head to take another drag of her cigarette before turning back to Waverly.

“Yeah. And I’m being responsible by making sure when she stands behind the building between classes she doesn’t get mugged or bothered by anyone.”

Waverly snorted and raised an eyebrow at Nicole. “Mugged? Behind a church?”

“You never know,” Nicole said as she smashed the end of the cigarette against the wall between them. The black ash clung to the stucco, blemishing it. She threw the end into a nearby trash can, already having been yelled at by Waverly before for putting it out onto the cement.

“Very chivalrous of you,” Waverly said. “You should know, though, that I can handle myself.”

“I have no doubt about that,” Nicole said leaning a little closer to Waverly. “I vividly remember when I scared you and you punched me in the throat.”

Waverly blushed. “Sorry.”

“I deserved it,” Nicole said leaning down a little, trying to appear as casual as possible. “I wouldn’t be mad if you wanted to make it up to me though.”

Waverly’s eyebrows shot into her hairline despite the way she was subtly leaning towards Nicole. She squinted at Nicole and licked her lips. Her eyes darted down to Nicole’s lips before she looked away.

“You are incorrigible.”

“When I see something I like, I don’t wanna wait,” Nicole breathed. Waverly turned to face Nicole, their bodies close. Nicole felt her breath catch in her throat and wondered if all the flirting back and forth for the last month or so was finally going to pay off. As soon as she had spotted Waverly carrying a box full of Sunday school supplies in at the beginning of the new session, Nicole had decided that she needed to get to know her.

Nicole usually leaned against her car and smoked, but when she noticed Waverly going out behind the church and taking a breather between her sessions, she moved her usual lounge spot.

Four weeks of heavy flirting later and here they were.

“You’re charming too,” Waverly whispered like an insult. “But I’m guessing you already knew that.”

Nicole felt her cheeks heat under Waverly’s gaze and she felt a soft hand close around her wrist.

“All that charm and still you don’t have the balls to make the first move,” Waverly quipped.

Nicole raised her eyebrow at the other woman and chuckled. “I don’t _technically_ have the balls for anything. But I do have the ovaries for it.”

Waverly rolled her eyes so hard that Nicole was sure she had just blown it. But Waverly’s hand moved from her wrist, fingertips dragging up the skin of Nicole’s arm with goosebumps following in their wake. Her palms pressed against the muscles of Nicole’s bicep, squeezing briefly before curling around the side of her neck. Nicole’s heart began to thrum, beating wildly out of synch and she was sure Waverly could feel it in her palm but she didn’t care.

Especially when Waverly pressed her body fully to Nicole’s and pushed herself up on her tiptoes. Waverly’s lips were against Nicole’s before she could even think, her brain short circuiting as her hands gripped Waverly’s hips.

Nicole moaned into the kiss, electricity shooting down her spine as she pulled Waverly as flush against her as humanly possible.

She suddenly felt like...she couldn’t let go. That she had to hold on to Waverly or she would spin into space. Her stomach pulled and turned, her body warming. Waverly’s other hand curled in the front of Nicole’s shirt, and she held on tight.

Waverly broke away with a gasp, their foreheads pressed together as they both tried to get their breath back. Nicole frowned as her mind began to flood with memories she didn’t recognize as her own. A library...kissing Waverly...Waverly on top of her.

She felt the tips of her ears tint pink, as brown eyes met hazel.

“What’s going on?” they asked at the same time.

Waverly smiled briefly before turning serious again.

“I remember you from...somewhere else,” she said, her fingers playing with the short hairs on the back of Nicole’s neck.

“A different time?”

“I don’t know,” Waverly said, squeezing her eyes shut like she was trying to remember. Suddenly she gasped. “We’re dreaming.”

“Dreaming?”

“Close your eyes.”

Nicole obeyed without thinking, grip tightening on Waverly’s hips. She felt chills erupt over her body and her stomach dropped again.

“Stay with me,” Nicole whispered, mouth brushing against Waverly’s.

“Always,” Waverly said before their lips came together in a final kiss and the world went black.

***

It felt like the breath had been stolen from Waverly’s lungs. The only thing grounding her was Nicole’s lips on her own and her hands on her hips. She pulled away with a gasp, eyes blinking as she tried to regain her balance.

Where would she be now? 

Thankfully her vision came to, and she was in the library again, Nicole holding her impossibly tight.

“We’re in the library,” Waverly said mostly to herself. 

“What the fuck?” Nicole panted, face in a serious frown. “What’s happening to us?”

Waverly’s vision swam for a moment and she shook her head.

_Focus._

“Dreams,” she whispered. “We’re...lucid dreaming. Right? We’re both asleep in the real world.”

She didn’t wait for Nicole to respond, she pulled away and headed back to the table stacked with books. Her hands moved on their own as they sorted through the books, looking for ‘Two Souls’.

“Why does it keep disappearing?” she muttered. The floor beneath her feet began to shift and she reached to her side where she knew Nicole would be. She laced their fingers together and looked over at the redhead whose eyes were wide, confusion swimming just below the surface.

“Maybe if we hold on we won’t go anywhere,” Waverly said, one hand gripping the edge of the table while the other held desperately to Nicole. She squeezed the taller woman’s oddly cold hand. Waverly watched as Nicole breathed out and her breath blew visible out of her mouth as if she was in the snow.

Waverly’s stomach turned in fear and she pulled Nicole closer. She let go of the table to cup Nicole’s cheek, her skin feeling like ice under her fingers. Her fingertips began to tingle like an electric current was running through them. Nicole began to fade and Waverly blinked, hoping it was a trick of the light. She squeezed Nicole’s hand but ended up making a fist. Waverly looked down at their hands and Nicole’s was gone, and when she looked back up Nicole was gone too.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as her heart stopped. 

“Nicole!” she called to the empty room, voice echoing off the walls almost cruelly before she disappeared too.

***

The table shook under the man’s hand as he brought his fist down. The taller hourglass tipped over under the force and he growled in frustration. Gretta couldn’t help but smirk from her chair and shut her spell book with a flourish, a cloud of dust escaping from the pages.

“Time to up the stakes,” she said as she stood and strode over to where the man was standing. She picked up the hourglass that had fallen and looked at it closely. “They’ve been getting away scot free in these dreams-”

“We can’t _kill_ them,” Sandy growled. “Just distract them until the Dark Moon appears.”

“Disappears you mean,” Gretta said with a wink. The man just blinked at her.

“I don’t have time for your jokes,” he stated.

Gretta shrugged and looked at the grandfather clock against the wall. “Looks like you have approximately another... three days for my jokes.” The man growled and Gretta just smirked. “Now. Let me make things a little more difficult-”

“We need the Earp!” the man said as he snatched the hourglass from Gretta’s hand and slammed it onto the table next to the other one. 

“Then I won’t kill the Earp,” Gretta said with a roll of her eyes. “We’ll put them in worse situations and kill the cop. That way she’ll be more willing to go along with the rest of our plan.”

The man grunted, tapping his long fingers against his chin. “I suppose you’re not wrong…”

“Of course I’m not. After losing her soulmate, she’ll be in too much pain to even fight against sacrificing herself,” Gretta said with glee. “Then we complete the curse, combat the prophecy _and_ destroy the heir. All at once.”

“Fine,” the man said striding over to the fire, hands behind his back, “do whatever witchcraft you must.”

“Thanks, Sandy,” Gretta sing-songed, ignoring the angry huff from the man at the fire. She rolled her shoulders and put her hand over the hourglasses. “ _Ut omnia tua somniorum adveho verus. Omnis amor, omne enim cicatricem tibi voluntas reflectitur._ ”

The hourglasses shook, the sand bubbling like boiling water and glowing a hot red before they settled again. Gretta smirked and looked up at the man who smiled back.

“Done.”

***

Nicole felt herself drop, knees buckling as soon as her feet hit the floor and sending her stumbling. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, almost immediately recognizing the linoleum of the Purgatory Sheriff Department.

“Gross,” she said to herself as she pushed her body off the floor. She wiped off her pants and looked around. She was standing in front of a white board with complicated looking maps and pictures and symbols on it. She blinked at it for a moment before cursing to herself. 

On the board was a list of odd things that had happened in Purgatory along with a map with pins on it.

“I _knew_ it,” she said looking at the list that said “Possible Demons” on the top.

She shivered and gasped when Dolls unexpectedly stepped through her and closer to the board. Nicole blinked for a moment and gaped at him.

“Where did you come from?” she said. He crossed his arms and stared at the board. Nicole looked at his back for a moment before pumping her fist in victory. “I knew there was something weird going on here!”

“Jeremy, is there anything weird happening soon? Anything supernatural that might lend to spells or...curses?” he asked.

Nicole turned around and saw a small, tan skinned man sitting at a desk. He was hunched over some sort of book and looked up at Dolls. 

“A few. There’s a Dark Moon coming up,” he looked back down at the book and groaned. “It can open up a portal for...all kinds of things.”

Dolls turned to look at Jeremy, face stoic as always. “What kind of things?”

Nicole strode over to Jeremy, even if he couldn’t see her. “Yeah, like what, Jeremy?”

He opened his mouth and she saw his lips moving, but everything suddenly sounded like she was listening from under water. She couldn’t make out anything that he was saying and she screamed in frustration as the world swam around her

“Motherfu-!”

***

The sharp smell of disinfectant hit Waverly’s nostrils and she gripped the edge of...something to steady herself. She looked around and sighed. Hospital again. Great. It felt like every time they were starting to figure something out, she was separated from Nicole again.

She took a look around her surroundings and noticed she was in a room, hands gripping the edge of a hospital bed. Her eyes followed the shape of feet under the blanket and up towards to top of the bed. It only took her a moment to recognize the head of red hair splayed out on the pillow.

Waverly felt her heart break as she took in the abnormally pale face and the slow beeping of the heart monitors in the room. 

“Oh, Nicole,” Waverly whispered, her fingers shaking as she reached for her cheek. She tried to press her fingers to Nicole’s face but felt nothing as her fingers passed through like air. She looked down and saw her hands bandaged up, extra blankets piled over her body. “How long were you out there in the snow?” 

Her only answer was the beeping of the machines and Waverly felt tears well up behind her eyes. Seeing Nicole so small...so helpless…

“I’ll fix this,” Waverly said, “I’ll save you. Save us.”

Waverly swore she could feel Nicole’s skin under her fingers right before everything went black.

***

The briny scent of the ocean filled Nicole’s lungs, making her lightheaded as she leaned against the wooden rail of the ship. She was sure her lungs were mostly salt by now. Almost fifteen years on the sea would do that to a person. She ran her palm lovingly over the rail of the ship, the wood smooth and alive under her touch.

Finally. The Calamity Revenge was hers. Again.

For four moons she had been hunting down the ship, following it’s every move and the wake of destruction it had left behind. She was still mad at herself for letting the other ship get the slip on her that night. She had been stupid and cocky and they’d taken away her ship. Her most prized possession. Her life.

“Captain,” came a timid voice behind her. Nicole relished the fear in that voice. Something she had been working towards for years. You didn’t get anywhere as a pirate if you weren’t feared. Fear was the ultimate goal and she had it. Civilians and crew alike.

“Yes, Lonnie,” she said, eyes not leaving the long stretch of ocean in front of her.

“We got ‘er,” Lonnie said, “We got the cap’n.”

Nicole’s grip tightened on the rail. “If she’s aboard my ship then she ain’t no cap’n,” Nicole practically growled. “Only one cap’n on Calamity.”

“Of course, sir,” Lonnie corrected. “We got the traitor then.”

Nicole rolled her shoulders and stood up straighter. Victory at long last.

“Throw ‘er in the galley for now,” Nicole said. “Let ‘er wonder what her fate may be.”

“Yessir,” he said. She could hear him scurrying away and she took another deep breath of the clean ocean air as her flag was raised onto the mast of the ship. She watched as it unfurled, bold and red against the bright ocean sky and smiled. The only thing that smelled better than the ocean was victory.

She watched as the crew rushed about, throwing dead bodies overboard and scrubbing the deck clean. Pushing the tri-cornered hat back a little on her head, Nicole smiled with her hands on her hips. Perfect. Everything was perfect again. Behind the ship was her fleet and more ships that they had gathered were falling in line. The ships that were too damaged were being sunk, cannon balls in their sides ensuring that they made it to the bottom of the ocean.

Nicole tipped her hat and winked at Bustillos, her second mate, as she came out of the lower deck.

“All the main crew be locked up in the galley,” she said, taking a brief look at the compass hanging from her belt. “A few crew has joined us. The rest have been dealt with.”

“Thank you, Rosie,” Nicole said. “And my quarters?”

“Just as you like ‘em,” she confirmed. “Like to see for yourself?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Nicole said starting towards the inside of the ship. “Bring me the traitor while you’re at it.”

“As you wish, sir,” Rosita said. She followed Nicole into the bowels of the ship, the narrow hallways bustling with crew as they tried to get the ship back in order. Nicole didn’t want any trace of the former crew in here. She wanted Calamity to be just as she was before she was taken over. 

Nicole opened the door to the captain’s quarters, closing the door behind her as she took it in. Her map was back on the table that sat in the middle of the room, along with various treasures and knick knacks she had picked up in her years on the sea. She lovingly ran her hand over the table and picked up one of the intricately carved ships she used to represent Calamity. The ivory shone even in the dullest light, the figure smooth under her fingers. She set it back down on the table and walked back to her desk. The sound of her heavy boots reverberated through the wood floor as she stopped in front of the large chair behind the desk. Red velvet on the back and seat of it, fitting for the feared captain of what was the biggest pirate fleet in the Caribbean. 

She sat in the chair and let out a sigh. It was like being home again.

There was a knock on the door and Nicole called. “Bring ‘er in.”

Rosita opened the door and nodded at the ship captain before pushing the prisoner inside. The chains around her wrists and ankles rattled as she pulled away from Rosita, glaring hard at her captor’s back as Rosita left them alone, pulling the door closed behind her.

Nicole could see the other woman’s chest rising and falling in anger as she took her in, from her boots to the cotton shirt that hung off her shoulders with a black corset cinching her around the waist. The billowing sleeves of her shirt nearly covered the handcuffs around her wrists and small, delicate hands covered in rings. Long brown hair was covered with a scarf around her head, a single thin braid on the side of her head, beaded at the end.

Nicole stood up from her chair, one hand on the saber that hung from her belt while the other rested on the butt of her pistol. She took slow steps forward to the other woman who was still looking towards the door. 

“So,” Nicole said as hazel eyes turned towards her. “You’re the so called Angel of the Sea who stole my ship.”

The other woman’s eyes blazed with anger and she stood tall, chin jutted out towards Nicole and jaw tight. “I won your ship fair and square,” she stated. “And it’s Captain Earp to you. Captain Waverly Earp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	6. save my soul (it hurts all the same)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you wanted more pirates! Because that's what we got.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

“Can’t be a cap’n without a ship now, can ye?” Nicole said with a smirk. She watched Waverly’s cheeks tint in anger and it only make her smirk wider.

Waverly scoffed. “What do you know of being a cap’n anyways? Pillaging and killing? You ‘ave about as much control of your crew as ya ‘ave over a buncha wolves.”

Nicole let her eyes travel down the other woman’s body before they snapped back up to Waverly’s face. There was no denying the fact that she was beautiful. Breathtakingly so. Nicole would even venture to say that she was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen on any of the seven seas.

Waverly still looked more pissed than a cat in a barrel and Nicole couldn’t blame her. Having the ship she had stolen taken back after only a few months? It was almost as embarrassing as Nicole losing her ship to begin with, but at least she got it back and hadn’t gotten captured when it was first taken.

“I think you’ll find my methods of gettin’ bounty much more civil than the stories make me out to be,” Nicole said with a wink.

Waverly growled and Nicole couldn’t help but find it absolutely endearing.

“Jus’ kill me and get it o’er with,” Waverly spat. “I’d rather hang from the mast than be your prisoner.”

Nicole couldn’t help but laugh, and she watched as Waverly’s face only got redder. “I ‘ave no intention of killin’ a bonnie lass such as yourself,” Nicole said, winking at Waverly. “There be much more use fo’ a girl they call the Angel of the Sea.”

“I’m not a girl,” Waverly hissed. “I’m a cap’n.”

Nicole smiled devilishly and patted Waverly’s cheek briefly. “We’ll see about that, darlin’. Rosita!”

Her first mate came through the door and grabbed Waverly by the back of the neck. Waverly practically snarled, eyes glaring at Nicole as she was forced to turn and leave the Captain’s Quarters. Nicole gave her a small salute as she left and watched on in glee as Waverly’s face screwed up in anger. With another small chuckle to herself, Nicole sauntered over to her chair and sat in it, settling her boots on her desk as she leaned back in her chair.

Yeah. It was good to be home.

***

The next morning, Nicole stood at the helm of the ship, her hands gripping the wheel with a comfortable familiarity. The sail was unfurled and pregnant with wind as they sailed straight on towards the next port. She looked back and saw her fleet following along behind and her heart swelled.

This is what she’d always dreamed her life would be. The captain of her own beautiful ship, a fleet behind her, and the ocean wind in her hair. Sure, preferably there would be a beautiful woman as her partner through it all, but this would do too.

It wasn’t as if Nicole was unfamiliar with the touch of a woman. Not only the ship supplies were replenished when they pulled into port. But the idea of a woman warming her bed for more than a night seemed like a lovely possibility. Something that was missing. Like the last piece of the puzzle.

“Cap’n!” Rosita called as she climbed the steps to the helm. “We’ll be into port by early tomorrow.”

“Perfect,” Nicole breathed. “‘Ave the prisoners caused you any problems?”

Rosita shrugged as she leaned against the rail of the helm. “Jus’ that Waverly Earp. She’s a spitfire. Refuses to eat.”

“After a few days withou’ eatin’, I’m sure she’ll find our bread more than reasonable,” Nicole said dismissively.

“Cap’n, if I may ask...what do you plan on doin’ with the prisoners? Specifically Earp,” Rosita asked. “Seems like it’d be easier to throw ‘er off the side of the ship than to try and tame ‘er. She’ll never join the crew.”

Nicole looked at Rosita sharply. “She don’t deserve death jus’ because we can’t get along. Not yet anyways.”

Rosita squinted at her and Nicole couldn’t help but blush under her gaze.

“Oh bloody ‘ell, yer sweet on ‘er!” Rosita said as she pushed Nicole’s shoulder. The wheel jerked to the side a little and Nicole glared at Rosita.

“That’s no way to treat your cap’n. I ‘ave half a mind to ‘ang you from the sails by yer thumbs.”

Rosita just shot Nicole a look as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m jus’ sayin’ that you ain’t no good bein’ sweet on that girl. She may be called the Angel of the Sea, but she’s anything but that.”

Nicole scoffed. “She’s as ‘armless as a kitten.”

“That’s how she gets ya!” Rosita insisted. “Acts all innocent and charmin’ and then chops yer ‘ead off in the middle of the night. How do you think she got ‘er other ship? She went right ahead and killed Hardy in his sleep. In _cold blood_.”

“Hardy we’ren’t never anything but a prick anyhow,” Nicole pointed out. “She went and did the world a favor by offin’ him.”

Rosita crossed her arms. “I’m jus’ sayin’, if the crew gets wind yer layin’ with the enemy they ain’t gonna be happy.”

“I’m not layin’ with ‘er,” Nicole said, shooting Rosita a look. “Don’ make out like I am.”

Rosita raised an eyebrow at her and shook her head. “I get the appeal. She be a little thing but she’s got that fire in ‘er that’s sure to be like tamin’ a bronco.”

Nicole’s gripped tightened on the wheel. “You won’t be talkin’ ‘bout ‘er that way.”

“An’ ye say yer not sweet on ‘er?” Rosita smirked.

Nicole clenched her jaw and kept her eyes on the ocean ahead of her. “Aye, to the bilge with ye,” she growled, “Off me helm.”

Rosita laughed and began to head back down to the deck. “Aye aye, cap’n.”

Nicole just hummed, the sound of Rosita laughing ringing through the air as she went into the ship.

***

A captain didn’t often go into the bowels of the ship. They certainly didn’t go to the prisoner’s brig. But Nicole found herself wandering down there as the moon hung low in the sky. She had tried to sleep but couldn’t. When she got up to walk the deck, her feet carried her right to where they were holding the prisoners. More like...where they were holding Waverly.

She ran her fingers over the cold metal bars of the jail, gritty with salt and who knew what else. Her eyes landed on Waverly, sitting with her knees bent and arms draped over the tops of them. Her eyes shone in the moonlight that streamed through the single port hole in the hall.

“I was wonderin’ how long it would be before you came down here,” Waverly said as she tipped her head back against the side of the ship. “Come to kill me then?”

Nicole crossed her arms as she stood in front of the bars. “That would make everythin’ too easy for you.”

Waverly scoffed as she pushed herself to her manacled feet. The handcuffs hung around her wrists as well and Nicole could make out how red and raw the skin was beneath the heavy metal. Her stomach clenched and she had half a mind to take the chains off of her.

“Why ‘re you here then?” Waverly asked. “To mock me some more about losin’ ma ship?”

“First off, it was never yer ship,” Nicole said as Waverly leaned against the bars of the jail. “Second off, no. I jus’ came to make sure people were leavin’ you alone.”

Waverly hummed, squinting at Nicole in a way that made her want to squirm. But she straightened her shoulders and stood tall in front of the other woman.

“You came to bother me, to make sure I was bein’ left alone?” Waverly said with a tilt of her head.

“I’m chivalrous that way,” Nicole raised her eyebrow, her eyes drifting to the dip of Waverly’s shirt over her cleavage.

Waverly hummed. “If you were chivalrous you wouldn’t leave a lady chained up in the hulk.”

“Now, I never said anything about a lady,” Nicole said.

She watched as the tips of Waverly’s ears turned red. Waverly rolled her eyes and lunged for the bars of the jail, chains on her wrists clanging loudly against the metal.

“Yer jus’ lucky you left me without my dagger,” she hissed.

“Probably,” Nicole said with a shrug. “We’ll be in port tomorrow. If yer lucky I might let you out for a little air.”

With that, Nicole turned on the heels of her boots and walked back to her Quarters to sleep. A satisfied smile lingered on her face.

***

“Rumor ‘as it ya got the Angel of the Sea locked up in yer hull.” 

Nicole sighed and lifted her tankard to her lips, taking a long sip of the mead inside. She would recognize that voice anyways. And it never failed to put a thorn in her side.

“Shae,” Nicole said as she put the tankard back down on the wooden top of the bar. “Where in bloody ‘ell would that rumor come from?”

“I ‘ave my sources,” Shae said, one elbow leaning on the bar and looking Nicole up and down. “Yer lookin’ good. Rested.”

“Mm, amazin’ what gettin’ yer ship back will do for ya looks,” Nicole said with a wink. Shae was just as beautiful and infuriating as when Nicole first met her. Before she was the captain of her own ship and took to the seas full time.

“So...do you or don’t you?” Shae asked.

Nicole tried to play dumb, shaking her head.

Shae narrowed her eyes at her. “You best not be hidin’ that woman on yer ship. The crew will form a mutiny.”

“Why’s that? Another rumor you heard?” Nicole said taking another long drink of her mead. They were only in port for a few more hours and she wasn’t letting Shae disrupt her precious time she had at the pub.

“Everyone thinks her family is cursed. And her along with it,” Shae said. “You know better than to bring a cursed woman onto yer boat.”

“I brought you, didn’t I?” Nicole quipped.

Shae shot her a look despite the smile just barely visible on the corners of her lips. “You’ve always been cheeky.”

Nicole winked at her. “It’s what gets me all the lassies.”

“Until they know better,” Shae said, taking the tankard from Nicole and draining it. “Thanks for the drink.”

She winked at Nicole before turning around and sauntering out of the pub with a little wave over her shoulder. Nicole sighed, eyes wandering to Shae’s swaying hips. “Fuck me,” she whispered under her breath before ordering another mead.

***

Nicole visited Waverly again that night. This time she leaned back against the wall opposite of the jail cell while Waverly leaned against the bars.

“Yer back,” Waverly said, almost bored.

Nicole shrugged. “Thought I would see how our Angel is.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I’d like it better if you gave me some decent food.”

“There ain’t no decent food on this ship,” Nicole chuckled. “Nice try though, lass.”

Nicole just looked at Waverly for a moment, her eyes wandering over her ever so briefly. 

“Why’d you do it?” Nicole asked softly.

Confusion was written across the dip in Waverly’s brows. “Do what?”

“Why’d ya steal ma’ ship?” Nicole clarified. “You ‘ad yer own fleet. Why’d ya need mine?”

Waverly pursed her lips cutely and crinkled her nose. “I just liked it.”

Nicole shook her head. “For an angel yer an awful big liar,” she said. “Tell me. Did it ‘ave to do with yer sister taking control of the Peacemaker?”

She watched Waverly bristle, hazel eyes hardening. “Ya don’t know nothin’ about my sister.”

“I know that you were hopin’ to take the helm once yer dad passed only to have ‘im sign it over to yer drunkard of a sister.”

Waverly slammed the chains against the bars of the jail. “You shut yer mouth about my family. It be best if you didn’t flap yer lips about things you know nothin’ about.”

Nicole held up her hands in surrender as she took slow strides towards the bars that Waverly leaned against. “Fair enough, my apologies.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I trust that apology about as far as I can throw you.”

“I’ve been told I’m very light,” Nicole said, holding her hand out with the palm up. “Put yer arms through the bars please.”

With a squint, Waverly pulled her arms away from the bars. “Why?”

Nicole said nothing, instead she held up a ring of keys. “Thought I could rid you of your shackles. Sign of good faith an’ all that.”

“Or a sign of stupidity,” Waverly said airily as she slipped her hands between the bars. Nicole chuckled and pointedly ran her fingers lightly over Waverly’s palm. She held Waverly’s hand and turned it so that the lock was easily accessible. She kept her eyes on Waverly’s as she undid the shackles and to Waverly’s credit, she never tore her gaze away from Nicole’s. Once the shackles fell to the floor with a clang, Nicole finally looked down at Waverly’s wrists. She hissed in empathy at the angry red marks and bruises around her delicate wrists.

“I’ll make sure someone brings ya salve,” she said.

“I don’t need it,” Waverly said as she pulled her hands away from Nicole.

Nicole adjusted the tri-corner hat on her head. “Looks right angry. But suit yerself.”

“I will.” Waverly stretched her arms up over her head, a small sliver of skin between her shirt and skirt becoming available for Nicole to devour with her eyes. A seed of heat was planted in her belly and she cleared her throat as she looked away.

“A’ight, I’ll leave ya to it then,” Nicole said with a polite tip of her hat. She walked away but she could feel Waverly’s eyes on her back as she did. It made her heart beat a little faster, stomach turning as she licked her lips.

***

“Yer back, I see,” Waverly said from her usual spot with her back against the wall of the ship.

Nicole held up a tattered deck of cards and shrugged. “Thought you could use some entertainin’.”

“So now yer entertainin’ prisoners?” Waverly asked as she stood and walked closer to the bars of her prison, a small smile on her lips. “Doesn’t seem like a very cap’n thin’ to do.”

“I’m not yer typical cap’n,” she said before sitting herself down on the floor in front of the bars, expertly shuffling the deck in her hand. Waverly eyed her warily before sitting on the other side of the bars across from her.

“What’r we playin’?” Waverly asked as she folded her legs in front of her.

“Maw,” Nicole said dealing the cards.

“You can’t play Maw wit’ two people,” Waverly insisted.

“Not according to me mum,” Nicole said with a wink. “We play with two.”

“Fine,” Waverly said taking her cards and looking over them as Nicole set up the rest of the game. “Don’ expect me to take it easy on ya.”

“I would expect nothin’ less,” Nicole said with a wink as the game began.

***

A few hours later, an empty flask lay between them and Nicole looked at her hand with a wicked grin. Waverly looked at her over her hand, eyes fierce. Nicole felt an involuntary shudder run down her spine.

Nicole plucked a card from her hand with a flourish and laid it on the deck between them with a smirk. 

“A’ight, sweetheart, the Ace of ‘earts,” Nicole said breezily. 

Waverly huffed and threw down her cards. “I ain’t no good at Maw.”

“Clearly,” Nicole teased.

“I’m good at chess. You wouldn’t stand a chance,” Waverly said drawing her knees up to her chest, arms slung around them.

Nicole raised an eyebrow at her and leaned a little closer to the bars. “Is that a challenge, lassie?”

Waverly lifted a shoulder coyly, resting her chin on it as she fluttered her eyelashes at Nicole. “Maybe.”

Nicole’s stomach dropped, mouth suddenly dry as she reached for her flask. She groaned when she realized it was empty and put it back in her pocket. “Well, guess I’ll be seein’ you for some chess soon.”

“I’d like that,” Waverly said, the playful hint in her voice gone. They stared at each other a little too long and Nicole felt the hairs on her arm raise up before she reached down and collected the cards. She reached through the bars and went to scoop up Waverly’s when her hand covered her own. Nicole licked her lips, eyes darting up to the other woman. 

“Thank you,” Waverly started, “fer...spendin’ time with me.”

Nicole ignored the heat running up her arm at the feeling of Waverly’s hand over hers. “Anytime, lassie.” She finished picking up the cards when Waverly moved her hand, putting them all back in a neat deck. “Can’t ‘ave you spreadin’ that rumor that I ain’t reasonable to my prisoners.”

Waverly snorted. “Yeah. Couldn’t ‘ave that.”

Nicole stood up and tipped her hat at the other girl. “See you tomorrow then.”

Her hand still burned from where Waverly touched her as she rushed out of the brig.

***

Usually Nicole would have had Rosita bring a prisoner to her chambers. But she didn’t want Rosita to know this time. For no...nefarious reason. She just knew Rosita wouldn’t leave it alone. When Nicole went down to the brig that night, her stomach turned nervously. She tried to reason with herself that she wasn’t _afraid_ of Waverly. If anything Nicole was...intrigued by her. How could she not be? She was interesting and smart and...well, she was stunning. That certainly didn’t hurt.

“What’r we playin’ tonight?” Waverly asked as she stood up from her usual spot.

Nicole didn’t say anything, just pulled the key from her keyring to Waverly’s cell. As she put the key in the lock, Waverly’s hand reached out to cover hers. Nicole’s eyes shot up to Waverly’s.

“If you do this...yer crew will revolt,” Waverly said. 

Nicole shrugged. “The crew ain’t got no stake in my business. And that’s what this is. My business.”

“You know that ain’t true when you have someone onboard who’s considered a criminal.”

“I think they’re more upset because you’re considered cursed,” Nicole replied.

Waverly’s eyes hardened. “The Earp curse-”

“Do’nna exist, I know,” Nicole said gently. She watched as Waverly’s eyes softened again and she twisted the key, the lock clicking open. She pushed open the jail door and Waverly stood just on the other side like she was afraid to cross the line. “Now how ‘bout a game a chess if yer so good at it.”

Waverly smiled and took her first step out of the cell. “Let’s do it.”

Nicole smiled, dimples popping as she gestured for Waverly to walk ahead of her. “I trust ya still know where the Cap’n’s quarters are?”

Waverly said nothing, just began down the hall. Nicole followed her and as Waverly began to climb the ladder to the higher deck...it wasn’t Nicole’s fault that her ass was right at eye level. Still, when Waverly turned around and gave her a look, Nicole couldn’t help but blush.

“Be respectful,” Waverly said with a smirk.

“‘Ave you ever known a pirate to be respectful, lassie?” Nicole countered.

Waverly huffed and finished her climb to the upper deck. They walked into the Captain’s quarters and Waverly hummed as she took a look around.

“Guess you didn’t wreck it _too_ much,” Waverly said, running her fingers lightly over the top of Nicole’s desk.

Nicole raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a chair from the table in the middle of the room, chess board set up on top of it. “I ‘ad a lot to improve on after ya came in and mussed it all up.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair Nicole had pulled out for her. Nicole could smell something sweet as she sat. Like perfume. Waverly had no business smelling that sweet after spending days in the brig. Nicole shrugged it off and sat in the chair across from Waverly.

“This is beautiful,” Waverly said, picking up the intricately carved Queen piece and examining it. 

The candles lit around the room provided just enough light to play by. Mostly the warm light flickered across Waverly’s skin, bringing Nicole’s eyes to her collarbones and jaw. Her stomach turned, warmth settling low in it as she forced her eyes to safer territory. Like her fingers, curled around the chess piece.

“Aye,” Nicole said, licking her lips. “I got it in London last I went.” Waverly placed the piece back in it’s rightful spot on the board and Nicole smiled at her. “Ladies first.”

“If I’m a lady, what’r you?” Waverly asked flirtatiously.

Nicole smirked. “A scoundrel, I been told.”

Waverly tilted her head as she made her first move. “Aye, I’ve always liked scoundrels.”

***

Every night for the next week, Nicole would bring Waverly up to her quarters for a game of chess. It was getting harder and harder to leave her presence though and their nights together became longer and longer. Even when Nicole wasn’t with Waverly, she found herself thinking about her. About her hair, her eyes, her smile...how soft her touch was.

She had heard some minor rumblings amongst the crew as to why Waverly was still with them, but Nicole wasn’t concerned about them.

Waverly stared at the chessboard, her eyes narrowed as she assessed the placement of the pieces. Nicole watched her. Watched the delicate dip of her brow and how she chewed on the inside of her cheek when she thought. Waverly’s hand hovered over the pieces as if they’d tell her which one to choose. Nicole raised her eyebrow as Waverly picked up the queen and moved it across the board.

“Checkmate,” she said triumphantly.

Nicole frowned and leaned forward to examine the board.

“Bullocks!”

Waverly laughed and clapped her hands in glee. “I got ya, Cap’n.”

Nicole slumped back in her chair with a pout. “Aye, you distracted me and cheated.”

Waverly gaped at her. “Pray tell, ‘ow I did that?”

“By bein’ so pretty,” Nicole said softly. She blushed as the words left her mouth, but she kept her eyes trained on Waverly and how her own cheeks tinted. She smiled and busied her hands with her fallen chess pieces to keep from reaching across for Waverly’s hands. 

“Yer definitely a scoundrel,” Waverly said as she leaned back in her chair.

“Didn’t you say ya like scoundrels?” Nicole countered.

Waverly hummed and tilted her head. They just looked at each other for a moment, stars leaping from their eyes as they stared at each other. Finally, Waverly cleared her throat and looked down at the board. 

“Well, ‘re you sendin’ me back to the brig now?”

“Stay,” Nicole blurted, her cheeks somehow getting brighter. “Wit’ me.” Waverly raised an eyebrow at Nicole and she shook her head. “Not like that,” she confirmed. “Just...I ‘ave a bed and a seat. I’ll sleep on the seat.”

“Well...it would beat the cell,” Waverly said.

Nicole smiled and stood up quickly from her seat, trying to temper her excitement. “I ‘ave a nightdress you can change into. If ya wish.”

Waverly smiled softly. “That’d be nice.”

Nicole nodded and went to her trunk, pulling out some suitable bed clothes for Waverly and handing them to her. She directed her to the partition that blocked a corner of the cabin from the rest of the room so that she could change in private. Nicole quickly hurried out of her own clothes while Waverly changed and slipped on her own bed clothes. She settled onto the long seat that...admittedly was a little too short for her. But she sat on it for now. She would awkwardly arrange herself once Waverly was asleep.

Waverly walked from behind the partition and Nicole nearly choked as air caught in her throat. The moonlight shined through the window and illuminated her white nightgown in a way that made it look like she was glowing. No wonder she was called Angel of the Sea.

She noticed she was staring and said thickly. “Aye.” Nicole shook her head and cleared her throat. “I mean. Um...it fits.”

Waverly smiled and shrugged, pulling at the skirt a little. “Yeah, suppose it does.”

“Well…g’night,” Nicole said trying to get comfortable on the seat. “See ya’ in the mornin’.”

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about Waverly a few feet away getting comfortable in the bed. They laid in silence for a few moments before she heard Waverly clear her throat.

“You can...sleep in bed wit’ me, ya know,” Waverly said. Nicole opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the low light.

“What?”

“I mean...it’s a big bed,” Waverly said softly.

Nicole licked her lips and tried to make a joke of it even as her heart pounded out of her chest. “Are you tellin’ me you trust layin’ besides a pirate and a scoundrel?”

Waverly chuckled. “I’ve warmed my bed wit’ worse and I bet you ‘ave too. I’m the cursed one, remember?”

Nicole could see Waverly blinking at her owlishly from the bed.

“I mean...if ya don’t mind,” Nicole said as she sat up and rolled her her neck. Waverly didn’t answer, just scooted over in the bed as Nicole stood up and slowly walked over to the bed. 

“Thanks,” she whispered as she slipped beneath the sheets. The spot that she laid on was still warm from Waverly’s body and she stared up at the ceiling, hands clasped firmly over her stomach.

Anyone else would think she was crazy. Laying in bed with a known criminal? Someone who had murdered a man in cold blood while he slept. But Nicole had trusted Waverly as soon as she saw her. She knew there was something about her she could believe in.

“Nicole,” Waverly whispered.

“Hm?” Nicole said as she turned her head to better look at the other woman. Their faces were closer than she expected and heat flushed through her body.

“Thank you,” Waverly said.

“For what?” Nicole frowned.

“For trustin’ me,” Waverly said. “For seeing me. The real me.”

Nicole gave her a lopsided smile. “Maybe I’m makin’ the worst mistake of my life.”

“Maybe,” Waverly said with a smile of her own. But it faded quickly and her fingers began to play with the pillow. “Have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”

Nicole felt her stomach drop and she nodded. “I may know somethin’ about that. Yeah.”

Waverly smiled so widely, Nicole was sure she was blind. Without warning, Waverly leaned forward and planted the softest kiss on her lips before pulling away.

“Night,” Waverly said quickly before turning, her back towards Nicole.

Nicole blinked for a moment, shocked with tingles running all over her body at the brief contact. 

***

Nicole felt the cold steel against her throat before she realized what was happening. She shifted, feeling a weight on her hips and finally opened her eyes. Waverly’s face was mere inches from hers, hazel eyes gleaming in the low light. 

Nicole swallowed and the knife pressed against her skin just a little tighter. 

“Aye, lassie,” she whispered with a fearless grin. “I’ll admit, I dreamt of waking up with you on top of me but I di’n’t imagine these would be the circumstances.”

The bridge of Waverly’s nose grew pink. “Yer mighty brazen for someone wit’ a knife to their throat.”

Nicole thought of the pistol she kept just in reach under the mattress but didn’t reach for it. Not yet, anyhow. She wanted to see how this played out. 

“Yeah, well I got a pretty firm suspicion you ain’t gonna do nothin’ about it,” Nicole said. 

“Why’s that?” Waverly asked, knife pressing just that much more against Nicole’s pale skin. 

“Ya ‘ave no reason to kill me,” Nicole said simply. “I ain’t been anythin’ but kind to you. And yer not the type to kill without a reason.”

Waverly squinted. “Reason enough that ya took my ship away.”

“Took it back,” Nicole corrected. 

Waverly licked her lips and stared down at Nicole pointedly. “How do I know I can trust ya?”

Nicole quickly pulled the pistol from the mattress and pressed it up under Waverly’s rib cage. The other woman gasped when she felt the barrel pressed against her, eyes wide as the ‘click’ of Nicole pulling back the hammer echoed through the room. 

“‘Cause if ya couldn’t trust me, you’d be dead by now,” Nicole said, smile only getting wider. “So why don’t you put away that dagger you stole from me and we go back to sleep. Aye?”

Waverly stayed put for a moment, pressing the dagger down a little more firmly before sitting up, knife falling by her side. 

“You can even keep the knife if it makes ya feel better.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and pulled herself off of Nicole. She settled back in the bed beside her and Nicole let herself breathe a small sigh of relief. 

“Night, lassie,” Nicole said as she slipped the pistol back under her mattress. 

“Night,” Waverly said softly from besides her. And they both drifted off to sleep. 

***

Waverly didn’t go back to the brig after that. She slowly became one of the crew, assimilating to helping and cooking. Nicole saw some of the crew giving Waverly looks and crossing themselves when she was nearby, but the other half was just as charmed with her as Nicole.

Even if they slept in the same bed every night, they hadn’t kissed since the first night.

Nicole wanted to. Oh she wanted to. But she didn’t want Waverly to think she was coming on too strong when she was sleeping in the same bed as her. After all, it could have very well just been a kiss of thanks. Something not meant to be read into or to ever repeat. And if that was all Nicole was going to get from Waverly, she was okay with it.

But their touches lingered, gazes held strong with each other...Rosita noticed. Nicole knew because she would shoot her looks every now and then. 

One day, Waverly was on deck and Nicole was at the helm. Waverly was helping stack the canon balls and Nicole couldn’t help but stare at her as she worked. She had found a shirt without sleeves so Nicole could see the lean muscles of her arms move as she laid it all out.

“Yer droolin’,” Rosita said from besides her. Nicole jumped and shot her a look.

“Liar,” Nicole said as she rolled her shoulders. She pushed her hat further onto her head and let her eyes roam over the rest of the deck. One crew member, Jones, was lingering away from his usual post. Nicole watched him carefully as he looked over at Waverly who was talking to Lonnie. 

Jones began to make strides towards Waverly and Nicole noticed a glint of something by his side.

“Shit,” she said to herself before jumping off the helm onto the lower deck. She rushed to Waverly, drawing her pistol and holding it towards Jones. He was a foot away from Waverly when Nicole shouted. “Stand down, Jones!”

Still, he didn’t listen. Waverly frowned at Nicole, unaware of what was happening with her back to Jones. His arm was back, dagger in his hand and ready to come forward at Waverly just as Nicole shot. The bullet hit him right in the throat but his arm still came forward, catching Nicole in the stomach instead of Waverly.

Pain bloomed hot and sharp in her stomach as Jones gurgled and coughed. A bubble of blood came out of his throat as he gasped for air, hands clawing at the sky before he collapsed onto the deck. Nicole pulled the dagger from her stomach and looked at it for a moment. Her blood shone bright and red on the blade and she frowned, spitting on Jones who was still thrashing on the ground as she dropped the blade.

“Fuck you, Jones,” she muttered as she pressed her hand to the wound in her stomach. She looked down at her hand and saw blood blooming over the white cotton of her shirt.

“Nicole!” Waverly yelled, wrapping her arms around Nicole just as her knees buckled. “Yer hurt.”

“Tis only a flesh wound,” Nicole said, forcing a smile before yelling out in pain. 

“Smart ass,” Waverly said gesturing for Rosita to help her. The crew had gathered around, all dumbstruck by what had just happened. “Come on. Let’s get ya inside.”

“Back to work!” Rosita yelled to the crew as she looped Nicole’s arm over her shoulder. Waverly did the same on the other side and they quickly walked deep into the ship towards her quarters. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Rosita and Waverly gently placed Nicole on the love seat.

“A’ight, there’s bandages here,” Rosita said pulling a box from under the bed and taking it over to Waverly. “Yee tend to ‘er while I make sure we don’t ‘ave a mutiny.” Rosita leveled Waverly with a serious look, hand gripping the other woman’s arm. “Can I trust yee?”

Waverly nodded sharply. “I would never hurt her.”

Rosita searched Waverly’s face for a moment before nodding back at her. “Aye.”

With that, Rosita left the captain’s quarters and left Nicole and Waverly alone. Nicole felt pain radiating from her stomach, making her lightheaded.

“What have you gotten yerself into,” Waverly whispered mostly to herself. Nicole groaned in pain, vision getting spotty. But she couldn’t help but smile at Waverly.

“Hopefully somethin’ good,” she said, voice strained.

Waverly chuckled and began to pull things from the box of supplies Rosita had given her. “Stabbed and yet ya still have it in ya to flirt. Badly, might I add.”

Nicole gave her a lopsided smile. “Eh, can’t be too bad if ya noticed.”

Waverly shook her head and gently moved Nicole’s hand away from the wound. Waverly hissed in sympathy and shook her head. 

“I need you to take yer shirt off,” Waverly said with a hint of a blush. Nicole just groaned at the idea of having to lift her arms over her head, but nodded in compliance. She slowly lifted her shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but the thick cloth she used to bind her breasts down when she was working. Waverly blushed even deeper and Nicole noticed. Despite the ridiculous amount of blood that was coming from her side, Nicole smirked.

“Like somethin’, lassie?” She said, voice low.

Waverly rolled her eyes as she picked up a bandage from the supplies. “Yer lucky yer hurt or I’d hit you.”

Nicole barked a laugh that immediately turned into a yell of pain. Waverly soothed her, one hand roaming up Nicole’s arm and squeezing her bicep.

“Yer a big baby,” Waverly practically cooed as she swiped away some of the blood from her stomach. Nicole hissed at the cold water against her skin but just bit the side of her cheek as Waverly wiped at her wound. “See, it’s not too bad.”

Nicole looked down but still saw some fresh blood and chose to focus on Waverly’s face instead. She looked at the dip of her brow and how her nose curved so prettily. Her lips were so soft and the memory of her own pressed against them was almost too much.

“Waves,” Nicole whispered, her hand coming up and cupping Waverly’s cheek. Hazel eyes widened and looked up at Nicole. “It’s not that bad. Right?”

Waverly shrugged. “I’ve seen worse.”

Nicole smiled and ran her thumb over Waverly’s cheekbone. Her tongue darted out of her mouth as her eyes looked down at Waverly’s lips. Without a second thought, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Waverly’s. 

When Nicole was six, she fell off the side of a dock and into the ocean. Her boots filled with water almost immediately and began to drag her down to the bottom of the ocean. Her lungs burned as she gasped for air, only getting the sting of salt water in her throat. Her dad dove down and scooped her off the bottom, bringing her to the surface and getting the water from her lungs.

That first breath of air that Nicole took was the sweetest breath she had ever taken. It was like life had been snatched from her chest and blown back in by angels. For that moment, everything in the world was crystal clear. 

This, with her lips pressed to Waverly’s...this was the only other time Nicole had felt that feeling. Both of Waverly’s hands had fallen to Nicole’s knees and she squeezed as she leaned closer to her. Nicole felt Waverly’s tongue along the seam of her lips and instantly met it with her own.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode right in her chest. Another moment later, Waverly had pushed herself up so that both of her knees sunk into the cushions on either side of Nicole’s hips. Waverly still held herself up over Nicole, only touching her gingerly because of the stab wound in her side. Still, Nicole’s hands tightened on Waverly’s hips and she tried to pull her down.

“You’re hurt,” Waverly whispered between kisses.

“You’re healing me,” Nicole said with a small smile. 

“You’re insufferable,” Waverly said. Nicole’s hands moved up the back of Waverly’s shirt and felt the smooth skin of her back against her palms. Waverly’s body arched towards Nicole’s as she nipped at her lips.

There was a pulling in Nicole’s stomach that made her groan. It felt like the world was moving under her, shifting beneath her feet like heavy waves rolling under the ship.

“Waves-“

“Ssh, no more talking,” Waverly said, her hands on either side of Nicole’s face. Nicole nodded and kissed Waverly even deeper. But it started to feel like her body was being pulled in separate directions, stretching unnaturally. So she opened her eyes just long enough to see Waverly’s panicked ones before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	7. the feeling of your skin locked in my head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heard a rumor that people wanted rival CEO Nicole and Waverly...was that a thing? I hope so because I wrote it.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Nicole’s stomach jolted and suddenly the smell of wet wood and salt was replaced by fire and old books. She still felt the gentle weight of Waverly on top of her, her hands up the back of Waverly’s shirt.

Waverly’s fingers were tangled in Nicole’s hair, tugging on the roots while their tongues still tangled. Nicole didn’t even care what was happening or where they were right now. Not with Waverly on top of her. And _especially_ not with the way Waverly’s lips had started moving across her jaw and up to her ear.

Heat was building deep in Nicole’s stomach. Probably enough to consume both of them and leave nothing but ashes behind. Nicole pushed Waverly’s shirt up over her head and it ended up on the floor somewhere. 

“I wish we would have gotten to keep those outfits,” Waverly breathed as she pulled on the hem of Nicole’s shirt. It was over her head and thrown somewhere without a second thought as they pulled at each other desperately. Nicole’s hands went to the swell of Waverly’s ass and pulled her roughly against her.

Pain erupted in her stomach and she hissed, pulling away from Waverly’s lips as black spots popped in front of her eyes. She heard Waverly gasp and opened her eyes. Waverly’s face was pale, eyes trained on Nicole’s stomach. She looked down and saw blood leaking out of the same wound she’d had before they were taken back to the library.

“Fuck,” Nicole gasped, blood draining from her own cheeks as the pain grew stronger. “Oh that hurts like a motherfucker.”

“Balls,” Waverly said as she started to get off of Nicole. She gripped Waverly’s hips tighter, not willing to let her go just yet.

“No, it’s fine,” Nicole said with a pained nod. “I’m fine. It just stings a little.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow at her, amused smile on her face. “While it’s very sweet that you’re willing to breathe through the pain just to sleep with me, I don’t want you passing out from blood loss.”

Nicole blushed but smirked all the same. “Can you blame me?”

She was rewarded with the daintiest blush and smile from Waverly. “In this case, yes.”

“You were just a super sexy pirate criminal, I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” Nicole argued. 

Waverly raised an eyebrow at her as she climbed off Nicole’s lap. Nicole’s hands clung to Waverly’s hips for as long as possible before the other woman slipped away. Her arms fell dramatically onto the arms of the chair as Waverly took a step back to look at Nicole’s wound. She grimaced and dropped to her knees between Nicole’s legs as she moved to get a closer look.

That certainly didn’t help the pounding between Nicole’s thighs and she swallowed thickly, hands digging into the arm of the chair as she tried to push all inappropriate thoughts from her head.

“It’s pretty deep,” Waverly said, pulling a little at the skin around the wound. “But not too serious. I’m more worried about-“

Waverly cut herself off and stood up from the floor. She disappeared down one of the aisles of the library but came back a moment later with a first aid kit. Nicole frowned at her and shook her head. 

“Where’d that come from?”

Waverly shrugged. “I just...kinda knew it would be there.”

“Freaky,” Nicole whispered.

“Can you stand up? This’ll be easier on the table,” Waverly asked.

Nicole nodded, hiding her groan as she stood up, one hand covering the wound as she made her way towards the table. “What are you worried about?”

“What?”

“You started to say something worried you,” Nicole said as she sat on top of the large table as if it was a doctor’s table. “Then you stopped. What is it?”

Waverly puffed her cheeks out for a moment as she set the first aid kit down and opened it. She pulled out some antiseptic as she looked up at Nicole. “I mean...we remember the dream, right? For once?”

Nicole thought for a moment. It was blurry, but she remembered being on a ship and Waverly down in a jail...she could practically taste the ocean in her mouth at the thought.

“Yeah, most of it,” Nicole said.

“That’s good...I think,” Waverly said as she began to gingerly apply the antiseptic to Nicole’s wound. Pain blinded her for a moment and she bit down on her tongue to prevent herself from yelling something embarrassing. 

“What’s not good, then?” Nicole gritted out.

“Well...you’re hurt,” Waverly said as she wiped blood off of Nicole’s stomach. “If it was a dream you shouldn’t-...you shouldn’t actually be hurt.”

“But we’re still technically in a dream, aren’t we?” Nicole reasoned. “So...maybe it’s just because...we’re still in a dream?”

“Maybe,” Waverly mumbled as she worked, setting a bloody rag down on the table. Nicole felt lightheaded at the amount of blood on the towel so she looked away. She licked her lips and looked back at Waverly who suddenly looked...transparent.

“What’s-? Waves!” Nicole called, reaching for her. Her hand went right through Waverly and she looked on horrified as Waverly disappeared right in front of her. “Motherfucker!”

***

Waverly stood frozen for a moment, the bloody rag still in her hand as she looked around the hospital.

“What the balls?” she growled as she looked around. She was in Nicole’s room again. Her face looked a little more sunken than the last time she was here. Waverly was happy to see that her fingers weren’t wrapped in bandages anymore. But her heart monitor was beeping faster than normal. Waverly frowned and stepped closer to Nicole’s bed. There was some red seeping to the surface of her hospital gown. 

She felt the blood drain from her face. 

“Help!” she yelled as she rushed to Nicole’s side. But then she remembered no one could hear her. She couldn’t even _touch_ Nicole. Looking down, she also realized she still wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“Fucking great,” Waverly muttered just as a nurse came into the room. She started frantically checking Nicole’s vitals when Waverly felt her feet falling through nothing and everything went black again.

***

A blink later and Waverly was back in the library where a shirtless Nicole was placing a bandage over her wound. Nicole looked back up at her and smiled.

“You’re back,” she sighed. “I was getting worried.”

Waverly just stared at her for a moment as realization seeped deep beneath her skin. She looked down at the wound and back at Nicole.

“I um...what happens...when you die in a dream?” Waverly asked softly.

Nicole shrugged. “Nothing...usually.” She frowned as she straightened up. “But...this doesn’t feel like a ‘usually’ situation...does it?”

“I’m afraid not,” Waverly said as she stepped close enough to Nicole that her hands rested on her knees. “I think that...if we get hurt in a dream...we get hurt in real life.”

Nicole’s frown deepened and she placed her hands over Waverly’s. “Think or...know? Where were you just now?”

Letting out a shaky breath, Waverly licked her lips as she picked out the words carefully. “I was in your hospital room. And...you had the same wound.”

Nicole’s face got pale and she looked down at the bandage on her stomach.

“Huh.”

“Yeah.”

“So...I guess that means we shouldn’t die in these dreams either?” Nicole asked with a humorous chuckle.

Waverly forced a small smile. “I would...strongly advise against it.”

***

The taller hourglass let out a loud ‘crack’ that echoed through the room like a gunshot. The glass shattered just enough to put a long crack in the side.

The man smiled, Gretta standing besides him with her arms crossed.

“Perfect,” she whispered as some of the sand leaked out the side.

***

Waverly slipped her shirt back on and couldn’t stop herself from helping Nicole button up her own. Anything so that her fingers could brush along the soft skin of Nicole’s torso just a little bit longer. Nicole was still sitting on the table, so her knees framed Waverly’s hips just so, in a way that made her feel safe.

They hadn’t said much after their realization that things might be a lot worse than they anticipated. They had to be a lot more careful from now on. Though even when they had been...Nicole still got stabbed. Real stabbed. 

“You okay?” Nicole asked as Waverly finished with the bottom button of her shirt.

It felt like a small bloom of heat started in her chest and Waverly smiled. “I should be asking you that.”

Nicole shrugged, charming smile on her face as she took Waverly’s hand in her own. “Can’t complain when I have a beautiful girl to look at.”

“You were _stabbed_.”

“Could be worse.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and pressed her palms to the table on either side of Nicole’s hips. Their faces were mere inches apart and Waverly kept thinking about how they had been positioned last time they came out of a dream. With Waverly straddling Nicole...skin to skin. She nearly whimpered at the memory.

“Please, don’t get hurt again?” Waverly whispered. She pressed her forehead to Nicole’s and felt strong arms encircle her middle and bring her closer.

“I’ll do my best,” Nicole said, kissing the tip of Waverly’s nose.

Waverly began to play with the end of Nicole’s shirt, fingers twisting over and over again in the fabric as she thought. Now that things had settled a little, she began to comprehend. She and Nicole were...soulmates.

She blushed at the thought.

When she was younger she’d mused on the idea of soulmates. The idea that hers was out there...somewhere. At the time she imagined her soulmate as a handsome, strapping boy with kind eyes and a nice smile. But as she got older, she just hoped for someone sweet and smart that could meet her stride for stride. A partner.

She didn’t think that it would be so...magical when she found them. The way that her entire body felt like it came to life the first time she touched Nicole was-...indescribable.

Sure, Nicole seemed...less than enthused about the idea. But Nicole cared about her. That much was apparent.

“So,” Waverly started carefully. “Soulmates. Huh?”

She felt Nicole’s arms tighten around her waist briefly before relaxing again. Nicole let out a long breath and looked up at the ceiling. Waverly leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the underside of her jaw and down her neck. She felt Nicole swallow under her lips and she pulled away just as Nicole looked back at her.

“Well...after all this...I guess anything is possible?” Nicole said with a crooked grin. “And if I’m gonna have a soulmate, I’m glad as hell it’s you.”

Waverly’s heart fluttered and the warmth in her chest expanded, threatening to crack her ribs. She smiled widely as she put her hands on Nicole’s cheeks and drew their faces close again.

“So romantic,” she said with a hint of sarcasm as she placed a soft kiss on her lips. Nicole chuckled and kissed her again. 

“Now what?” Nicole asked between small pecks.

Waverly blushed remembering everything she’d read in ‘Two Souls’. Things that she had read and didn’t have time to tell Nicole after they figured out the whole...soulmate thing.

“Well...you mean besides figuring out what’s going on with this whole...dream state thing?” Waverly asked with a small grimace. “I mean...technically we’re supposed to...unite.”

She blushed deeper and Nicole blinked at her for a moment. Waverly watched as Nicole went from confused to slow realization. “Oh...like… _unite_.”

Waverly nodded and Nicole opened her mouth to respond. But before she could, their world went black.

***

Wynonna crushed the flimsy styrofoam cup in her hands, the leftover hot coffee spilling onto her hand and stinging her skin. It hurt, but all she could think about was how upset Waverly would be with her for drinking out of a styrofoam cup instead of something recycled or whatever bullshit Waverly was pushing lately.

Reusable...condoms or something.

She snorted at the thought, eyes still on the crushed cup in her hand and her skin, reddening from the coffee she spilled on herself. Without another thought, she threw the cup in the garbage and wiped her hand off on her jeans as she strode down the hall back towards Waverly’s room.

The path was so familiar she hardly even thought about it anymore. When she turned the final corner to Waverly’s room she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a woman standing in front of the window and looking in the room. Some creepy looking motherfucker too, with a convenient cloak on and everything.

“Hey! Sanderson! You’re not gonna find any virgins around here to light your candle so why don’t you try somewhere else,” Wynonna said, already pulling Peacemaker from her holster as she strode towards the woman. 

The woman turned as Wynonna held Peacemaker up to her head. Wynonna frowned, confused.

“Mattie? Aren’t you fifty shades of dead?” Wynonna asked.

Mattie - or the woman who sure as hell looked like Mattie - smiled. “I’m your worst nightmare. Her sister. Gretta.”

“Yeah, twins always have kinda freaked me out,” Wynonna mumbled, gun still trained on the other woman. “So why are you here creeping on _my_ sister? Did you have something to do with this?”

Gretta shrugged, smile still in place. “I don’t like to brag.”

Wynonna felt something snap in her, anger flaring in her chest and she pressed the barrel of the gun to Gretta’s forehead. But she disappeared in a puff of smoke and Wynonna stumbled forward a little bit.

“What the-?”

“Now now, Wynonna,” Gretta said from behind her. Wynonna spun around, gun aimed at her again. “Let’s not get rash, now.”

“Don’t use your hocus pocus love potion number five bullshit on me,” Wynonna seethed through her teeth. “Tell me what you did to my sister or I’ll-”

Gretta tipped her head back in a laugh just as she disappeared again. Her disembodied voice echoed around Wynonna when she said, “Or what, Earp?”

Wynonna screamed so loudly that two nurses came running to make sure no one was dead.

***

“We are here, Ms. Earp,” the driver said from the front seat. 

Waverly sighed and looked out the tinted window at the tall building looming overhead. Just the look of it made Waverly’s stomach turn. 

“Thank you, John Henry,” Waverly said, pulling out her compact to take one last look at herself before she grabbed her briefcase and opened the car door. “Hopefully this hell ends soon.”

“Have a good day now, Ms. Earp,” John Henry called with a tip of his hat. She shut the door and he drove away, leaving Waverly on the sidewalk to straighten out her suit and head into the lion’s den on her own.

“You’ve got this,” Waverly said to herself under her breath. “Just march in there and show them who’s boss.”

She gave herself a firm nod and entered the glass doors of the building. The bustling city sounds disappeared as soon as she stepped inside the large lobby, glass on all sides of them, and a large circular reception desk in the middle of the room. Waverly held her chin high as she walked up to it, heels clicking on the marble floors. 

Fixing a friendly (but professional) smile on her face, Waverly approached the receptionist who blinked at her blankly.

“Hello,” Waverly said with a small smile. “I’m here to see-”

The receptionists eyes got wide. “Ms. Haught. You’re Waverly Earp to see Nicole Haught.”

Waverly forced her smile to widen, even if the name ‘Haught’ left a bad taste in her mouth. “Yes. Good job.”

The receptionist beamed at the praise. 

Good. Her reputation preceded her.

The receptionist hit a button on her phone and smiled back at Waverly. She responded a little breathily. “Someone will be right out to help you, Ms. Earp.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as the words were from her mouth, a tall woman appeared at her side almost out of nowhere.

“Ms. Earp?” she inquired.

“Yes,” Waverly said, a bit stunned at her sudden appearance.

“My name is Rosita, I’ll take you to Ms. Haught,” she said with a friendly smile. 

Waverly smiled back and nodded, following Rosita as she led the way to the elevator. They stepped inside and Rosita hit the button to the top floor. There was silence for a moment before Rosita spoke up again.

“Everyone’s really excited you’re here,” she whispered like it was a big secret. She even leaned closer to Waverly and winked. “I’m not supposed to say that. But...you know.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said with a modest nod of her head as her stomach twisted. She knew the only people happy she was here were probably the select few who forced this little collaboration to happen. The biggest client, looking for a bid for their new service and deciding to force Earp Incorporated and Haught Limited to work together. Whose great idea was it to make two of the biggest rivals to work together? Someone who was out for blood more likely.

They got out of the elevator and went straight to what Waverly assumed was the board room. It was a large room with glass on all sides, an assistant running around and putting papers on the tables and pouring glasses of water. 

As they walked in, the assistant jumped and smiled awkwardly at the two before scuttling out of the room. 

“You can take a seat here,” Rosita pulled out a chair for Waverly at the end of the table and she did sot, setting her briefcase on the floor by her side. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“Tea would be great,” Waverly said with a small smile. Roaita nodded and headed out of the room. Waverly pulled out her phone and checked to make sure she hadn’t gotten any important emails but there was only a good luck text with some sort of crude emoji from her sister. She smiled to herself before putting the phone back in the pocket of her suit.

The door opened again and Waverly expected Rosita, but when she looked over she saw Haught herself. Waverly felt heat rise in her chest at the look of her. She was just as tall and lanky as she had seen in all those stupid business magazines. Elegant in a fitted suit and short red hair slicked back away from her face. She was so gorgeous it made Waverly even madder.

“Ms. Earp,” Nicole said with a stiff smile. Waverly gave her the same treatment and nodded her head.

“Ms. Haught,” she replied, trying for as little venom as possible. She stood up and wished she’d worn higher heels so Nicole wasn’t taller than her. She held out her hand and Nicole took it, both of them squeezing just enough to not make it _too_ obvious they were trying to outdo the other.

“Nice of you to join us,” Nicole said, brown eyes boring into Waverly’s. “Thank you for coming all the way out here. The client just felt that these dealings should be done in a more...impressive area.”

Waverly felt anger flare in her chest but she just kept her smile. “Yes, well, let’s hope we can get past some of the flashiness to do some real work.”

Something passed over in Nicole’s eyes, but her smile curled up at the edges a little more. “Let’s hope.”

She finally dropped Waverly’s hand, and she noticed for the first time that the rest of the conference room had filled up. She straightened out her suit again as Nicole made her way to the other end of the long table and sat down.

“Alright,” Nicole said, long fingers curling over the arm rests as she looked right at Waverly. “Let’s begin.”

***

Waverly threw herself on the king sized bed in her hotel room. The soft comforter billowed around her like a cloud and she just lay spread eagle on it for a moment.

They had spent the whole day in the conference room, mostly arguing. Admittedly most of the day had turned into a pissing contest between herself and Nicole. Flaunting resources, manpower and strategies. Their companies had been at each other’s throats since before either of them had taken over as CEO. The rivalry had continued, clearly, and now being forced to work together well...it felt like torture.

Her phone rang and she answered it without thinking. “Hello?”

“Hey, Waves, how was the torture chamber today?” 

Waverly rolled her eyes at the sound of her sister’s voice, a small smile blooming on her face.

“Hello to you too, ‘Nonna,” she said turning over on her belly. “It was fine. Could have been worse I suppose.”

“Well as long as you two didn’t kill each other,” Wynonna mumbled, clearly chewing on something. “She is pretty hot thought.”

“Wynonna!”

“Maybe she could help you dislodge that stick from your butt.”

“I will _not_ be engaging in nefarious activities with a rival. And coworker. Technically,” Waverly blushed.

“I’m just saying. She looks like she’s craaaazy in bed-”

“‘Nonna-”

“Your type usually is.”

“Please stop-”

“All that pent up energy. She’s a...what do you call it? A dad-”

“Wynonna!” Waverly squealed, cheeks a bright red as she say up in the bed. “I get it! She’s very attractive.”

“And you need to get laid,” Wynonna said through a mouthful of...something. Wynonna could imagine the crumbs falling all over the front of her sister’s shirt. “She got divorced not that long ago you know. It was all in the papers.”

“Since when do you read newspapers?” Waverly teased. “More like the gossip rags.”

“Same difference,” Wynonna said. “Alright, baby girl, kick ass tomorrow. I gotta go.”

“Good night, Wynonna,” Waverly said as she suppressed her own yawn.

“Night. Get laid-”

“Night!” Waverly said before hanging up the phone and cutting off Wynonna’s laughter.

***

Nicole was very attractive. Very very attractive. And very...infuriating. 

If Waverly never had to work with Nicole Haught ever again, it’d be too soon. But if she got to stare at her stupidly infuriating face...well, she might consider working just a little bit longer. She couldn’t help it. Nicole was just so firm and proper all the time that she wanted to reach over and tousle her hair and untuck her shirt and-

Well, maybe kiss her a little.

Balls. Wynonna was right. She really _did_ need to get laid. 

It wasn’t her fault. There weren’t a lot of dating options when you were working over sixty hours a week including weekends. And if you weren’t technically working you were off trying to woo another client. It was exhausting.

Whenever Waverly was at home, all she wanted to do was collapse on her couch with some tea and a good book. Not go out on what was bound to be a terrible date.

So yeah. Maybe Waverly felt a little...overdue. But she wasn’t about to blow a huge business deal because of her hormones. It wasn’t likely Nicole even wanted anything to do with Waverly in that way.

The whole week Waverly had been there, all they’d done was argue. All kinds of arguing. Passive aggressive jabs, backhanded compliments, subtle digs and, a couple of times, a full on screaming match.

It had been fine. Everything Waverly had expected. You couldn’t wipe away over four decades of family rivalry just over night.

Most of the time, Waverly didn’t want to be in the same room with her. And when she was in the same room as her, she just wanted to slap her. But also... kiss her.

It was all entirely frustrating and Waverly didn’t like it one bit.

The late nights they were working together certainly didn’t help either. There came a point when Nicole would shed her suit jacket and roll up her sleeves to her elbows, crisp white shirt wrinkling just a little at the bend in her arms. 

Tonight was one of those nights.

Nicole was sitting on the edge of her desk, plans in her hand and pen bobbing between her lips. Her eyebrows were scrunched together as she read, frustration apparent on her face. Waverly was sitting on the couch looking over the same plans and shaking her head.

“This will work,” Waverly insisted, circling the final numbers on an attached spreadsheet. “Look at this! The numbers all make sense-”

“No, they don’t,” Nicole said dismissively, undoing the top button of her shirt. Waverly’s eyes caught on the pale skin and hint of a collarbone, causing her to blush. She cleared her throat and instead focused on how rude Nicole was being.

“Excuse you?” Waverly scoffed. “They work perfectly well and you know it!”

Nicole waved her hand dismissively in Waverly’s direction, not even bothering to look at her. “They don’t. Trust me.”

“How am I supposed to trust the woman whose family drove their first business completely into the ground?” Waverly said.

“Bringing my relative’s fuck ups into this? Classy,” Nicole said with a hint of a smirk. “But I don’t have to mention the Earp Curse-”

“That _doesn’t_ exist,” Waverly added quickly.

Nicole’s eyes practically sparkled as she shrugged. “Ah, guess we’ll see.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and stood up quickly, files clutched tightly in her hand.

“You’re infuriating. Do you know that?” she seethed.

Nicole’s face hardened in defense and she stood up from her desk. “And you’re a brat!”

Waverly gasped, anger carving deep wounds into her chest that came out of her mouth. “And you’re a self serving, entitled asshole!”

“Ha!” Nicole practically barked as the two stomped closer together. “Well you’re a hick who stumbled your way into a company you don’t deserve because you’re not even an Ear-!”

Nicole was cut off by Waverly slapping her hard across the face. The redhead stayed frozen, head turned to the side and Waverly stared at her wide eyed, hand stinging as she tried to process what she had done. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as Nicole slowly turned her head to face Waverly, a noticeable red mark in the vague shape of a hand on her cheek.

“Oh my god,” Waverly breathed, “I’m so-”

This time, Nicole interrupted Waverly with her mouth. Her mouth on Waverly’s. Long fingers tangled in honey brown hair and pulling Waverly closer as their mouths melded together. Waverly whimpered into the kiss, hands on Nicole’s chest as she considered pushing her away. But instead she gripped the front of her white shirt and pulled her closer. 

Nicole moaned as Waverly walked them the few steps back to Nicole’s desk. Waverly pushed her hands into soft red strands and Nicole pawed at Waverly’s hips. She jerked Waverly forward, making her gasp as their hips collided and tongues battled for dominance.

Fine. Maybe Wynonna was right. She did need to get laid.

At least if the pounding between her legs was any indication.

Nicole turned them around so that Waverly’s lower back hit the desk, rattling the cup holder and papers on it a little bit. Not that they noticed as they kissed desperately. Nicole pulled Waverly’s shirt from the waist of her skirt. Waverly’s body bowed into Nicole as her hands smoothed up her back, fingers tripping on her bra strap as she dragged her nails down Waverly’s back.

Her head tipped back as she moaned and Nicole took the chance to kiss down her throat, teeth nipping at the sensitive skin as she went. 

Waverly felt her nipples tighten and brush uncomfortably against the fabric of her bra. 

She wasn’t sure if Nicole lifted her onto the desk or if she did it herself, but somehow all of the things on top of the desk had ended up on the floor so it didn’t matter much anyway. Waverly automatically spread her legs and Nicole’s hips slotted easily between them Her skirt had ridden up obscenely, bunching around her hips and leaving her soaked panties completely on display. But honestly, Nicole seemed too busy to notice.

Waverly slipped her hands into the top of Nicole’s shirt where she had unbuttoned it and pushed it apart forcefully, causing buttons to fly in all directions. They bounced on the desk and floor. For a moment, Waverly considered apologizing. But when Nicole pulled back just enough to roll the shirt off her shoulders, brown eyes blazing as they looked at Waverly, the words dried up in her mouth.

Nicole’s lips were swollen, hair all out of place and _god_ she was sexy.

Nicole’s lips found Waverly’s pulsepoint and she bit down, causing Waverly’s legs to circle around her hips tightly. Waverly tore off her shirt and threw it somewhere to the ground. Stars danced in front of her eyes when Nicole ground her hips into her center, causing a new gush of wetness to soak her panties.

“Fuck,” Waverly gasped as she reached behind and undid the clasp of Nicole’s bra.

Nicole rid Waverly of hers as well and pressed their chests together. Sparks lit through Waverly’s veins and she frowned for a moment. 

_Wait--_

She moved her head and captured Nicole’s lips with her own again, moaning at the unexpected familiarity of it. Nicole’s hands moved up the outside of Waverly’s thighs, fingers hooking into the waistband of her ruined panties. She paused as if waiting for permission so without thinking, Waverly lifted her hips so that she could slip them off. 

Nicole kissed down her chest and found Waverly’s nipple as her fingers stroked the inside of her thigh, slick with her own arousal.

“How long have you wanted me, Waves?” Nicole husked around her nipple before biting down roughly. Waverly’s hips jerked, fingers digging into Nicole’s shoulder blades as pleasure seeped through her bones. Nicole’s fingers found hot heat, slipping through Waverly’s folds. She tried not to seem desperate, not to push her hips too far into Nicole’s fingers.

“Answer me,” Nicole said as she kissed her way across Waverly’s chest.

Waverly groaned when her tongue curled around her nipple. “When I first saw you in the boardroom,” she admitted with a groan. 

She could feel Nicole smirking against her breast as two fingers slid easily into her. Waverly felt like she was being torn apart in the most amazing way and she knew there was something different here. Something different with _Nicole_. 

Then she remembered the way the firelight flickered across Nicole’s skin in the library and the world began to pixelate around them again.

Nicole pulled back for a moment, looking at Waverly with a confused frown. Waverly’s heart was beating wildly in her chest. It was as if it was trying to break free from the confines of her ribs just to be closer to Nicole.

“What’s-?”

“Ssh,” Waverly said, kissing her deeply. “I’m with you. Stay with me. Please.”

She tilted her hips and Nicole slammed into her again just as the darkness took over.

***

_Beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeep-_

Wynonna’s head jerked up from where it rested on Waverly’s hospital bed, her hand firmly over her sister’s. The rapid beeping of the heart monitor made her own stop for a moment. She looked at Waverly’s face and saw her frowning like she was in pain. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and Wynonna jumped from her chair.

“Waves!” she said leaning a little closer to her sister. She didn’t know why, the bitch was in a coma, she wasn’t going to respond. But something was obviously wrong. Wynonna looked towards the door, still holding tightly to Waverly’s hand. “Nurse!”

Two nurses were already spilling through the door before the word was even from her mouth. Jeremy rushed in after them from the hall and stood next to Waverly’s bed.

“What’s happening?” he asked, looking from Waverly to her heart monitor.

“I don’t know,” Wynonna admitted. She stood her ground as the nurses worked around her and did what they were trained to do. Checking all of Waverly’s vital signs. 

Wynonna squeezed Waverly’s hand just as the two nurses bent their heads together and started whispering, the urgency in their actions gone. 

She looked at them incredulously. “Excuse me! What’s wrong with my baby sister?”

They both blushed, the taller one nudging the shorter. The shorter nurse cleared her throat, hands clasped in front of her.

“Well...in a coma patients tend to dream,” she started slowly. Wynonna just blinked at her. 

“My sister’s heart rate is spiking and you’re telling me it’s just a dream?” she asked. Waverly whimpered in her sleep as if to make a point. “See! Something’s wrong.”

“Her vital signs are fine. There’s nothing wrong with her,” the nurse said. “She’s just having a dream. It could be a...bad dream or an...erotic...dream.”

Wynonna stared at the nurse in disbelief. “You’re...saying my baby sister...who is in a coma...could be having a sex dream right now?”

Waverly moaned and Wynonna dropped her hand with a frown. 

“Oh god,” Jeremy said, covering his eyes in embarrassment.

“Ew!” Wynonna said with a small gag. “I was holding her hand!”

She shook her hand and rubbed it off on the sheets. That had to be some kind of small town bullshit right there. The nurses smiled apologetically and ducked out of the room. Jeremy was already gone. He seemed to disappear as soon as any sort of female sexual reference was made. Typical. 

Wynonna looked back at Waverly’s heart monitor, still going strong. And she whimpered again.

That was her cue to leave.

“I’ll be outside, baby girl,” Wynonna said as she backed away from her bed. “So I’ll be...right outside so no evil witch bitch fucks with your sex dream. Okay?”

Nothing but the beeping of the heart monitor.

Wynonna sighed as she left the room and began to close the door behind her. “Yeah, you just have a good time in coma dreamland while we do all the hard work.”

All it took was one more moan from Waverly for Wynonna to shut the door.

***

Nicole could smell the library first. Waverly’s scent surrounded her like a warmth, but under it she could smell old books and the fire burning. Mostly, though, all Nicole felt was Waverly wrapped around her.

She groaned at the feeling, her face buried in Waverly’s neck and breathing her in. She felt Waverly’s hips press into her and ran her tongue along the hinge of Waverly’s jaw to her ear. Pulling the earlobe with her teeth, hand still inside Waverly, she whispered in her ear. 

“What’s happening?”

Waverly turned her head and kissed Nicole softly. Deeply. Lips soft and warm against her own as they kissed. Their tongues touched briefly, probing and searching for answers neither of them had. Waverly grabbed the hairs at the base of Nicole’s skull and held tight, finally pulling their lips apart as she tipped Nicole’s head back and kissed her chin. Her other hand reached up and traced the line of Nicole’s lips. Nicole leaned forward and caught the tip of her finger with her tongue and Waverly moaned. She squeezed around Nicole’s fingers, trying to focus.

“Just be here. With me,” Waverly breathed, voice pleading as she brushed her lips lightly against Nicole’s lips.

“I’m here,” Nicole said as she began to slowly stroke Waverly’s walls again, palm pressed against her clit as she ground into her. Waverly moaned, forehead falling against Nicole’s as her hips followed her movements. “I’m right here, baby.”

Waverly nodded, a slow burn building deep in her stomach building with each push of Nicole’s hips into her. Her hand tightened in Nicole’s hair, the other cupping the back her neck. 

Stars. Like the first time that Waverly shook Nicole’s hand. Except it spread through her whole body. From the tips of her fingers to her toes, it was like the universe was expanding in her chest. She pulled Nicole impossibly close, feeling like their bodies completely melted together and there was nothing between them but their hearts beating together.

She felt Nicole’s breath playing against her lips as she panted, hips starting to move a little more desperately. Nicole read her body, not faltering for a single beat as she adjusted her movements to just what Waverly needed.

The heat grew, a knot tightening in her stomach as her breathing became quicker.

“Baby, I’m close,” Waverly said, kissing Nicole again. “Don’t stop, Nicky.”

Nicole just nodded, pulling out of Waverly to slam back into her. Nicole kissed Waverly hard, her breathing harsh.

“I feel-...I feel it too,” Nicole said with a confused frown.

“It’s you and me,” Waverly said, finishing off in a small moan. Nicole nodded again and they kissed so desperately that their teeth clashed together. Waverly sucked Nicole’s tongue into her mouth as the cord in her belly snapped, pleasure flooding every inch of her body and bones melting like hot metal.

Nicole gasped against Waverly’s mouth, their moans mingling until she couldn’t tell whose was whose. Waverly was sure the whole universe opened up for them in that moment as they drifted down from their shared high. Their kisses turned lazy, small pecks as they controlled their breathing again.

Waverly felt a pressure behind her eyes, hot tears threatening to fall but she held them off. She’d never felt so...raw and open. So vulnerable. But she’d also never felt so _safe_ and whole.

“Nicole,” she said softly, hand smoothing out the hair on the back of Nicole’s head. “I-...do you-...would you think it was crazy. If I loved you?”

Nicole chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t think anything’s crazy anymore.” 

Waverly smiled and they just looked at each other for a moment. Waverly could see Nicole’s brain working behind her eyes. The way they seemed to take in every aspect of the moment and really _see_ her.

“Plus,” Nicole added as she slowly slipped out of Waverly and gripped her thigh, still wrapped tightly around Nicole’s waist. “I think I might...love you too.”

It took a moment for Waverly to process her words, but when she did, it was like the whole world had opened up in front of her. She smiled so widely her cheeks hurt and she needed to kiss Nicole again. Waverly knew, she just _knew_ , that they would figure this out. No matter how much the darkness kept separating them. It was the two of them. And what a goddamn team they would make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	8. it's hard to love (with a heart that's hurting)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sooooo much to everyone reading this. Every comment and kudos makes me so happy. I know this story is weird and confusing so thank you so much for sticking with it. <3
> 
> Do you like pining and agoraphobia? Hope so because there's some of that in this chapter.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Waverly’s body, covered in a fine layer of sweat, glowed in the firelight. Nicole couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. Waverly’s fingers dug into the back of her head and she moaned as her tongue dipped deeper into her sex to taste her.

Waverly gasped, hips jumping, and Nicole made sure she held them tight to the floor with an arm across her hips. She looked up at Waverly from between her legs, eyes moving from her abs to her face that was twisted in pleasure.

“Fuck, Nicole,” she whimpered and Nicole doubled her efforts. She ran her tongue back up to Waverly’s clit and flicked the tip over it. Waverly’s fingers tightened in Nicole’s hair and the tremble of her thighs told Nicole she was close. She sucked Waverly’s clit into her mouth just as she slipped two fingers into her, stroking her front wall. 

Waverly’s thighs tightened around her head and all Nicole could hear was the blood rushing through her ears and the muffled sound of Waverly screaming, curses and Nicole’s name falling from her lips as she came.

As Waverly’s thighs loosened around her head, Nicole slowed her ministrations. She gently pulled out of Waverly, her tongue painting broad strokes.

Nicole wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly kissed up Waverly’s body, a pleased smirk stuck on her face. She kissed the bruise she’d left on Waverly’s collarbone before kissing her passionately. Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck to keep her close as their spent bodies molded into each other.

When Nicole finally pulled away, she frowned and looked around for a moment. “How did we get on the floor?”

Waverly shrugged, eyes still on Nicole. She began to run her fingers up and down the line of Nicole’s spine and she practically melted into her. 

“Does it matter?” Waverly asked as she kissed her jaw.

“Just seems very stereotypical, doesn’t it?” Nicole teased. “Making love in front of a fireplace?”

“What can I say, I love ‘The Notebook’,” Waverly said as Nicole slid off and onto her side. Her head was propped up onto her elbow so that she could look at Waverly. Her fingers traced a senseless pattern on Waverly’s hip as she looked down at her, the fire reflecting in her eyes. 

Waverly’s eyes went down to where the wound had been on Nicole’s stomach. Now it was just a white, raised scar. It looked fresh, but it still healed in a ridiculous amount of time. Something neither of them wanted to think about at the moment. 

“Would it be so bad?” Nicole blurted, mind running amok with love soaked thoughts. “Would it be so bad if we...were stuck here. Just you and me? Forever?”

Waverly smiled and turned her head to kiss Nicole’s shoulder. She nuzzled the skin there for a moment as her smile fell, brow wrinkling.

“My...sister,” Waverly trailed off, her hand finding Nicole’s on her hip and entwining their fingers together. “She’s waiting for me.”

Nicole realized she didn’t really know anything about Waverly. About her life outside of here. Outside of her. Waverly had an entire life that Nicole knew nothing about. They had lived several lives together already and yet knew nothing of each other’s real lives. 

“Who else is waiting for you?” Nicole asked softly. She imagined Waverly, so warm and open, with a big family surrounding her. But the way Waverly looked down and their entwined hands made Nicole wonder if she was wrong. 

“Well, my sister,” Waverly stated again, “Wynonna. She-...I have to get back to her. I also have my friends. Well...family. They’re my family. Doc and Dolls and Jeremy...they’re probably all trying to figure out what’s happening.”

Nicole nodded and watched Waverly’s fingers play with her own. 

“What about you?” Waverly asked. “Family waiting for you?”

Licking her lips, Nicole just shook her head with a small smile. “I have a...there’s a cat waiting for me. Calamity Jane.”

To her credit, Waverly just squeezed her hand and leaned up to kiss Nicole’s jaw. No probing questions about her estranged family and lack of friends. There’d be time for that later.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Wynonna,” Waverly said. “And everyone else. Jeremy’s gonna love you. Wynonna will...warm up to you.”

Nicole laughed and let Waverly push her until she was flat on her back. Waverly hovered over her with a smile and made Nicole sigh. 

“Is that your way of telling me that your sister’s gonna kill me?” Nicole asked as Waverly settled against her. 

“Let’s not think about that,” Waverly said with a small smile. “Let’s just make the most of the time we have left here together. Yeah? Before we get swept away again?”

“I can’t argue with that,” Nicole whispered as she ran her hands up Waverly’s toned back and brought their lips together again. 

***

“Goddammit,” Gretta whispered to herself as the hourglass seemed to mend itself. She rolled her neck and stretched out her shoulders. This was going to be a little harder than she originally thought. 

“Didn’t you say this would solve our problem?” the man hissed. “Now that they’ve united our job just got a lot harder.”

Gretta licked her lips and set her hand on the shorter hourglass. The metal glowed hot under her hand for a moment. 

“Just because these two idiots are going at it like rabbits...it’s fine. It will work,” she replied, looking at him sharply. “We can’t keep them too far apart in their dreams. But I can still make it so they won’t meet.”

“Impossible,” the man scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him. “We can’t stop them from finding each other anymore.”

Gretta sighed. “I have a loophole that’ll keep them apart just long enough for the Dark Moon to rise without them being together.”

“If you don’t know what you’re doing-“

Gretta shot him a warning look. “You just do your job and I’ll do mine. Yeah? So keep these idiots asleep. Alright _Sandy_?”

The man scoffed and walked away, leaving Gretta alone with the two hourglasses. 

***

Slowly, they had begun to put their clothes back on. Reluctantly. But Waverly knew they had things to figure out. She didn’t know what exactly they were fighting against. There was no hint or clue as to what was keeping them here other than it certainly seemed like it was trying to keep them apart.

Waverly pulled her skirt up her legs and watched as Nicole did up her pants. Her shirt was hanging over her shoulders, still unbuttoned, and after Waverly took her time taking in Nicole’s torso her eyes found the scar on her stomach. How much time had passed in the real world? Was Nicole healed in real life? Or did her wounds heal faster because they happened in her dreams?

She had so many questions and didn’t know where to start. Though, the best place to start was probably not just thinking of ways to get Nicole out of her clothes again. No matter how tempting it was.

Waverly was pulling her shirt over her head just as Nicole’s hands found her hips. Her body collided with Nicole’s gently as her head finally emerged from the top of her shirt. Nicole smiled down at her as Waverly wrapped her arms around her neck.

“Hey,” Nicole whispered.

“Hey,” Waverly said, smiling back at her. Nicole pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Waverly’s mouth and she sighed, turning her head so that she could nuzzle Nicole’s cheek. They stood like that for a moment, just breathing each other in as the fireplace crackled in the background. 

Ever so softly, she heard Nicole whisper. “I love you.”

Waverly’s heart fluttered and she tightened her grip on Nicole’s neck. Suddenly she felt sick. Her mouth dried and she licked her lips as Nicole turned her head so that their foreheads were pressed together. She opened her mouth to reply but the words died on her lips.

She loved Nicole. She did. It was the one thing she was sure of at the moment. Her love for Nicole and Nicole’s love for her it-...it was the only thing keeping her going. But there was a difference between saying she _thought_ she loved Nicole and that she without a doubt did. There was still that part of her that remembered everyone leaving her. Her Mama, Wynonna...those words didn’t mean anything to them.

Every time her Daddy flew off the handle and was storming out of the house to go drink, Waverly had gripped his pants and begged him to stay. Saying she loved him over and over to him. Hoping it would make him stay this time. But still he’d leave and get trashed, only to come back to knock around whomever was closest to him.

‘I love you’ meant nothing to anyone else but it meant everything to Waverly.

Champ was easy. He didn’t care that Waverly never told him that she loved him.

But Nicole was...different. She’d also only met Nicole once, truly. What was going to keep Nicole in town once all this was over? Once they were awake and everything was normal again? Waverly remembered Nicole’s reaction to the mere idea of soulmates...she’d probably bolt at the first chance.

Waverly felt a lump in her throat and desperately tried to swallow it down. She kissed Nicole lightly and forced a small smile.

“We have work to do.”

With one final peck, she pulled away from Nicole and turned back towards the table of books so she didn’t have to see her reaction. She didn’t want to know.

She pulled a random book towards her and flipped it open as she tried to get her bearings. Where did she even start?

Nicole came up besides her and pushed her hair from her face and over her shoulder. She kissed just behind her ear as she whispered. “What do you need from me, baby?”

Waverly squeezed her eyes shut, throat constricting as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Everything just felt so...overwhelming.

There was a woman-- a _wonderful_ woman that she loved. Here and openly loving her and she couldn’t bring herself to admit she felt the same. There was that and this goddamn curse or whatever it was looming over their heads. Waverly didn’t know what it was but she was sure it was meant to kill them.

She took Nicole’s hand that had pushed the hair behind her ear and threaded their fingers together. She kissed the back of her hand and held Nicole’s hand to her chest as her vision swam.

“Just stay with me.”

“Always.”

And everything went black again.

***

Waverly snuggled down into her blankets with a sigh. She’d made a little cocoon for herself in the bed, four blankets wrapped around her and surrounding her with warmth. It made her feel safe. Protected.

She had made the mistake of looking up the local news last night and hadn’t been able to leave bed since. So she made her nest and stayed in it. Her mind had just stopped forcing images of carnage and bloodshed behind her eyelids so she let her head poke out of the blankets.

The cool air felt good on her face, sweat plastering her bangs to her forehead. She didn’t realize how hot it had been in there.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Wynonna popped her head into Waverly’s room.

“Ah, I see you’ve emerged,” Wynonna said as she walked into the room. She closed the door behind her, set a glass of water on the nightstand and threw herself onto Waverly’s bed, practically on top of her. Waverly groaned and rolled as best she could with her blankets tangled around her. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

Waverly’s heart rate spiked at the very idea of stepping outside the front door, but she saw Wynonna’s playful smile on her face and rolled her eyes.

“Very funny, Wynonna,” Waverly mumbled. She pulled one arm clumsily from the blankets. It got caught for a moment so she tugged extra hard and her hand came flying out of the blankets, almost hitting Wynonna in the face. Wynonna ducked and hit away Waverly’s hand before giving her sister a look.

“I’m just saying,” Wynonna said as she helped untuck Waverly from all her blankets. “Hm. Four blankets now. Is that the magic number?”

Waverly pulled a pillow to her chest and laid on her back to stretch out her limbs a little. “Three is too light and five was way too hot. But four is pretty much perfect.”

“Pretty much, huh?”

“No. Still missing something I can’t figure out yet,” Waverly said as she took a few calming breaths. Her heart rate had turned back to normal and her stomach wasn’t twisting anymore. She took one final deep breath and loosened the tight grip that she had on her pillow. Wynonna pushed Waverly’s hair away from her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. It was the last step that made Waverly let out one final sigh. “I’m all sweaty.”

“I’m used to it,” Wynonna teased before laying down on the bed next to Waverly. She naturally curled into her older sister who was busy kicking the blankets off the bed. “So...no on going for a walk then?”

Waverly felt the pricking of cold sweat start on her palms and pressed her face to Wynonna’s shoulder. “I can’t.”

“Not even sitting in the backyard for a little bit? Like we did last week?” Wynonna asked.

Waverly shook her head. “Maybe tomorrow just...not today.”

“I’m sorry I let you watch the news, baby girl,” Wynonna whispered. 

“You didn’t _let_ me do anything. I made the decision on my own. I’m my own person,” Waverly said. “I thought-...I was feeling better.”

Wynonna hummed just as an alarm on Waverly’s phone went off. She leaned over Wynonna and opened the drawer of her nightstand for her pillbox. Two chalky, light blue pills were tapped carefully onto her palm and she knocked them back as she reached for the glass of water that Wynonna had brought.

“Can I at least get you in the kitchen for some waffles?” Wynonna said as Waverly laid back down on the bed.

“You made waffles?” Waverly asked with a raised eyebrow. “Without burning the place down?”

Wynonna shrugged and wiggled her eyebrows. “Not to brag but...I took them out of the freezer and everything.”

“Very impressive,” Waverly said. “I think-...yeah I can go to the kitchen.”

“Good, I closed all the blinds in the house so you wouldn’t have to see that disgustingly sunny day outside,” Wynonna said as she got out of the bed. Waverly followed, pulling a blanket around her shoulders as she went. 

Waverly walked cautiously through the house before sitting down at the kitchen table that already had two plates set up on it. The walk to the kitchen was easy enough and she decided to try opening up a couple of windows later.

“Thank you, Wynonna,” Waverly said as she took the first bite of her waffles. “For slaving over the toaster for me.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes and shoved a piece of her waffle on the end of her fork in front of Waverly’s face. “I even gave you the one without the the freezer burn.”

A sudden sound came from outside. It sounded like the beeping of a giant truck and Waverly looked towards the window. “What’s that?”

Wynonna stood up and walked over to the window. She pulled back the curtain from the window just enough so she could peek out, sun streaming onto Wynonna’s face and making her squint. She sighed. 

“New neighbor moving in across the street,” Wynonna said, her eyes narrowing. “Want me to tell her to tone it down?”

Waverly scoffed. “What are you going to tell them? Turn their truck off so that your crazy agoraphobic sister doesn’t have a panic attack?”

Wynonna shot her a look as she let the curtain fall back against the window. “No. I’m just going to go over there and suggest that they show some respect to their new neighbors.” Wynonna crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the sink. “Plus. You’re not crazy. That’s my job, remember?”

With a small chuckle, Waverly looked down at the waffle she was pushing around her plate. “Yeah, okay. At least you can go on the porch without having a panic attack.”

“At least ‘ou’ve ne’er ‘ad bolts of elect’icity shuttled directly into your ‘rain,” Wynonna said through a mouthful of waffle.

Waverly thought back to when Wynonna had been taken away from them. Waverly was left with Gus and Curtis who didn’t _quite_ understand that her anxiety wasn’t something she would just “get over” the more they made her face it. It wasn’t their fault. It really wasn’t. 

But Waverly could remember clear as day when her sister and father were killed. She remembered Ward dragging her and Wynonna into the car and throwing them in the back while he drove down the street in a drunken rage. Wynonna had gotten into another fight at school. Something that had become more frequent since Mama left. Waverly tried to stop her but just ended up getting in the way and Wynonna left with a black eye. Ward didn’t care that she fought. He cared that she _lost_. 

Waverly cried and begged, telling him that it was her fault. But Ward wouldn’t listen. 

It was driving down the long, dark highway out of town that Ward swerved to miss some invisible obstacle in the road and ended up flipping the car. Waverly knew the moment the world stopped flipping around her that Ward and Willa were dead. 

Cars had scared her ever since. All she saw when she went outside were the possible threats of the world, but she had managed to control it. In a sense. At least she thought she did.

Then Curtis was murdered.

Waverly couldn’t even get herself out of the house for his wake.

The Earp family house had been her hideaway ever since. Wynonna moved back home to help take care of Waverly. Even if she insisted she just wanted a change of pace. Waverly knew the truth. Gus tried but wasn’t sure how to correctly handle it. Not in her own grief from losing her husband.

“Not yet anyways,” Waverly said as she finished her waffle. She took their plates, taking them over to the sink to wash them. In the small gap in the window between the curtain and the frame, she saw someone outside of the moving truck. Curiosity got the best of her and she pulled back the curtain just the slightest bit.

Waverly blinked, eyes adjusting to the light. The back of the moving truck was opened, a little ramp coming out of the back. Waverly’s breath caught in her throat as a tall, red headed woman walked down the ramp holding a large box. She walked into the house across the way and walked back out, pulling a sweatshirt over her head that looked like it read “Purgatory Sheriff Department”. Waverly’s eyes got big when the tank top she had on underneath the sweatshirt rode up a little, putting most of her lower torso on display before she straightened it out.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Wynonna said as she got up from the table and stood next to Waverly. She blushed and let the curtain fall back.

“Nothing,” Waverly said going back to washing the plates. Wynonna hip checked her out of the way and pulled the curtain back again. She smirked and looked over at Waverly.

“Ah, I see. Looks like we got a hottie moving in across the street,” Wynonna said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “Maybe some motivation to get outside?”

Waverly didn’t even bother looking at Wynonna, she just rolled her eyes. “Come on-”

“Just saying. Getting laid can be a powerful motivator,” Wynonna said. “Oh damn, she’s got a nice ass-”

Waverly hit the curtain from Wynonna’s hand and glared at her. Wynonna just held her hands up in surrender and walked back into the living room.

“Just sayin’!”

Waverly just rolled her eyes again finished cleaning the dishes.

***

Waverly stood in front of her bedroom window and took a deep breath. It was just a normal day, after all. Everything was normal out there, aside from the moving truck. The new neighbor must have been about halfway done with her unpacking now…Waverly had finished her book and Wynonna was out doing...something. And she was bored. Some people watching could...do her some good.

She gripped the string of the blinds and fingered it for a moment. 

“This is stupid,” she said to herself before pulling on the string quickly and opening the blinds. She shut her eyes tight, heart in her throat for a moment. But she felt the warmth of the sun on her face and it was comforting in an odd way. A way she wasn’t used to anymore.

She blinked open her eyes and they automatically found the moving truck as the red head was emerging from it again. She wiped her forehead and put her hands on her hips as she looked in the truck. Something about her fascinated Waverly. Even if she didn’t even have an idea of what her name was.

Hell, she could hardly tell what she looked like from across the street.

But Waverly could tell there was something special about her. Something...different.

Waverly remembered Gus taking fresh baked cookies over every time they got a new neighbor and pulled out her phone to text Wynonna.

_Waverly: Get cookie dough please. The good stuff._

_Wynonna: Isn’t all the stuff the good stuff?_

_Waverly: No. Actually, get me ingredients for all it I’ll make it from scratch._

_Wynonna: Ur getting break and bake._

_Waverly: Wynonna!_

_Wynonna: Fine! Be home soon._

_Waverly: Thank u. <3_

_Wynonna: Yeah yeah_

***

“So what’s the plan here?” Wynonna asked as she hopped up on the counter where Waverly was putting little balls of cookie dough on the baking sheet. All the kitchen windows were opened. Waverly had gone through and opened them all that morning. It took her fifteen minutes in total after getting the courage to open each one after she’d gotten out of the bed that morning, but she’d done it. And that was a start.

Wynonna stuck her finger in the bowl of dough and scooped out a huge chunk. Waverly tried to swat her hand away but it was a lost cause, the dough already in Wynonna’s mouth.

“What do you mean?” Waverly asked as she put another ball of cookie dough on the sheet.

Wynonna gestured wildly to Waverly’s whole set up. “Like...what’s the plan? You gonna get her to come over here?”

“No, you’re going to deliver them,” Waverly said matter-of-factly.

“Mm, no,” Wynonna said stealing a ball of dough directly from the sheet. “Do I look like a cookie giving kinda person to you?”

“You look like the kind of person who would deliver cookies for her sister?” Waverly tried, swatting Wynonna’s hand away as she reached for more dough.

Wynonna sighed. “So what? I’m gonna say ‘hey, hot neighbor, my sister who can’t go outside has been watching you from her room and wanted to give you these cookies’?”

Waverly blushed. “I haven’t been watching her. And no. I’m going to...sit on the porch. And just look like I don’t want to cross the street.”

“You’re going to sit on the porch?” Wynonna asked in disbelief. “Seriously?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine,” Waverly insisted. Maybe if she kept saying it, it would be true.

“If you can get yourself to the porch, I can go across and give them to her,” Wynonna said. “Just throw in some more cookie dough and we’re in business.”

Waverly beamed and squealed in excitement, quickly hugging her sister around the waist in thanks.

“Okay okay,” Wynonna mumbled, even if she held Waverly just as tight. “Now get to work, baby girl.”

***

Waverly licked her lips, blanket around her shoulders as she stood in front of the closed front door. Wynonna was standing patiently by her side, tupperware of cookies in her hand. Waverly had taken a lot of time arranging them in the container to look nice and presentable but with the way Wynonna had it tucked under her arm, she was sure her careful planning was ruined but there were more important things at hand now.

“Sure about this, baby girl?” Wynonna asked. “I can just take them over and pretend like I care.”

“No, I can do this,” Waverly said, putting her hand on the doorknob. She licked her lips, palm slipping a little on the knob from her nerves. “I already opened the windows earlier. It’s basically the same thing, right?”

“Yeah, exactly,” Wynonna said with a nod of her head. “Just a slightly bigger window.”

Waverly turned the knob slowly and pulled the door open. The sun hit her face and she shivered, stomach tight with nerves as the smell of the outside hit her. Fresh cut grass, the summer flowers blooming, someone cooking down the street…

She shifted between her feet and shut her eyes, trying to chase out the images of carnage and destruction that kept flashing through her brain. Her stomach turned on her, threatening to throw up the couple of cookies she had stress eaten while putting them in the container.

“Okay,” she said to herself as she rolled her neck. She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, the fresh laundry scent calming her just a little. 

“Want me to go out first?” Wynonna asked, her hand on the small of Waverly’s back.

Waverly nodded and Wynonna kissed the side of her head. Wynonna took an easy step out of the front door and jealousy took hold of her for a moment at how easily her sister could just...do that. Just walk outside like that without fear gripping her and squeezing the breath out of her.

Wynonna turned to look at Waverly from the other side of the threshold. She focused on Wynonna’s face. Safe. There. But her heart started to beat wildly out of her chest, stomach squeezing painfully as her body erupted in a cold sweat. Her eyes darted to the street behind Wynonna when a car whizzed down the street.

Images of the car accident flashed in front of her eyes. Her sister’s lifeless eyes staring back at her. Except this time it was Wynonna. And Waverly was holding Wynonna’s lifeless body, rocking it back and forth.

“I can’t,” Waverly breathed, taking a step away from the door. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Wynonna said walking back into the house and immediately closing the door behind her. She frowned as she pulled Waverly into her arms, the tupperware tucked precariously under her arm as she held her. “Never apologize. Do you hear me?”

Waverly folded her arms in front of her, hands gripping Wynonna’s shirt as she took deep breaths to try and calm herself. Wynonna hugged her tighter and Waverly felt her heart starting to settle. She focused on breathing, in...and out. In...when she breathed out it came as a stuttering breath instead. She felt hot tears behind her eyes and pressed her face even harder into Wynonna’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Waverly repeated, voice thick with tears. “I just wish-”

“Ssh, I know, baby girl,” Wynonna said as she rocked Waverly back and forth. “I know.”

***

Two blankets was all Waverly needed this time around. She wrapped herself up in them and laid on the couch, Wynonna laying with her head opposite as the television blinked mindlessly in front of them. It was one of the movies they had deemed safe for Waverly to watch. 

_“Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.”_

Waverly sighed, groaning when Wynonna’s foot moved and hit her in the kidney. “Stop.”

“You’re taking up the whole couch,” Wynonna complained. The open container or cookies mocked her from the coffee table. Just a reminder of her failure. But they were really really good.

There was a knock on the door and the two sisters looked at each other. They hardly had visitors. Almost never, actually.

Wynonna threw her half of the blankets off of herself and they landed on Waverly’s face. She sputtered as she threw them off and sat up, picking up a cookie as she watched Wynonna go to the door. She looked through the peephole and gasped so loudly that Waverly was sure that whomever was on the other side could still hear her.

“It’s your new girlfriend!” Wynonna hissed. 

Waverly blushed and threw a pillow at the back of Wynonna’s head. “Shut up!”

The pillow hit Wynonna and she turned to glare at Waverly. “I’m trying to help you. Come answer the door.”

Waverly twisted the blanket between her fingers. “What if I...can’t?”

“You can,” Wynonna said. “You did it earlier. You don’t have to step outside just...stand there.”

There was another knock on the door and Wynonna ran to the couch, pulled Waverly up from the couch by her arm and practically shoved her towards the door, cookie still in her hand.

“Wynonna!” she hissed just as Wynonna reached forward and opened the front door. 

Waverly blinked, frozen in place as her eyes met brown for the first time.

“Hi,” the other woman said, smile lighting up her face as she looked at Waverly. “I’m um...I’m Nicole. Your new neighbor.”

“Hi,” Waverly said, a little breathless. “I’m uh...I’m Waverly.” She held out her hand and Nicole took it, their hands touching maybe just a moment too long. As soon as their palms touched, it was like an electric shock to Waverly’s heart. It started to beat faster, but not out of panic this time.

“And I’m Wynonna.” 

Waverly jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice, almost forgetting for a moment that she was even here.

“And this is Wynonna...my sister,” Waverly added as she dropped Nicole’s hand. Nicole blinked and looked at Wynonna like she was noticing her for the first time.

“H-hi, Nicole Haught,” she held out her hand and Wynonna just stared back at Nicole.

“Hold on,” Wynonna said, holding up a finger. “Did I hear that right? Nicole _Haught_?”

Nicole sighed, eyes darting over to Waverly again before looking at Wynonna. “Yes. Haught.”

Wynonna snorted. “What? Did you just walk off the set of a porno? Or what?”

Waverly hit Wynonna’s arm with the back of her arm and she clutched it in pain, shooting Waverly a look.

“Um...no,” Nicole said as she tucked some hair behind her ear. Waverly couldn’t help but watch as her long fingers pushed through red hair and wondered what it would be like for her own hands to take the same path. “And I’ve heard all the puns so-”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Haught Shot,” Wynonna said with a confident grin. “I’m pretty good at puns. Some might even say the best.”

“Would some say that?” Waverly asked with a tilt of her head.

“Yes.”

Nicole chuckled. “Anyways I just um...wanted to say hi.”

Waverly opened and closed her mouth like a fish, trying to think of ways to get Nicole to stay longer. “Cookies!” she said suddenly, holding up her own half eaten cookie in her hand. 

Nicole stared at her. “Um-”

“I have- I made cookies...for you,” Waverly said before scurrying back into the house. She quickly put the lid back on the tupperware and hurried back over to the door. With a bright smile, she handed them to Nicole. 

“Oh, thank you,” Nicole said with a wide smile. She looked down at the container and chuckled. “Chocolate chip is my girlfriend’s favorite, actually.”

Waverly felt her heart drop, stomach twisting again. “G-girlfriend?”

Nicole blushed a little. “Yeah. Her name is Shae she-....isn’t here right now. She’s a doctor in the city so it’s a...long commute.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Waverly said as she crossed her arms in front of herself as her heart broke. How stupid to think someone like Nicole _wouldn’t_ have a girlfriend. “W-well I hope we get to meet her. Soon.”

“Sure,” Nicole said looking between Wynonna and Waverly again. “Well I better...leave you to it. I’ll see you around.”

Nicole tipped her head like she was wearing a hat and turned around to walk off the porch. Waverly waved to her one last time, closing the door before she had to watch Nicole walk across the street.

Waverly groaned, resting her forehead on the wood of the door while Wynonna rubbed her back.

“I know, baby girl,” Wynonna said. “I’m sorry the hot neighbor has a girlfriend.”

Waverly shrugged. “I mean. What’s the point anyways? It’s not like we could have actually dated or anything. Unless she likes taking me to a fancy dinner in our kitchen.”

“You never know, she could be into that kinda thing,” Wynonna said as Waverly turned around, head tipping back against the door. She shut her eyes tightly, a heaviness in her stomach that she didn’t quite understand. It was certainly more than a person should be feeling for someone they had literally only spied on from across the street. But maybe it was just because Waverly let herself hope for just a moment. Just that tiny little glimmer of hope sent her heart crashing into the ground.

Waverly had let herself consider what could have happened if she was brave. She could go over to Nicole’s, get to know her, maybe...go on a date. It was stupid. But it was where her head went.

With one final sigh, she pushed herself off the door and went back to the couch. She pulled only one blanket over herself this time and settled back into the couch. Wynonna squeezed herself between the back of the couch and Waverly so that she could hold her and Waverly snuggled back into her as the movie continued to play.

_Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	9. whatever whirls around us i won't let you forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all your amazing responses to this! Writing agoraphobic Waverly has been so fun. Things definitely come to a sexy head in this chapter so...stay tuned. <3
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Waverly wouldn’t consider this… _spying_. Right? It wasn’t...spying to watch your neighbor when they were fully aware that they were in plain view.

She fingered the binoculars around her neck before lifting them to her eyes.

This definitely wasn’t spying. Not at all.

She moved the binoculars to focus on Nicole who was moving boxes around in the garage. Waverly had noticed the day before when she had left for work in a uniform. A very attractive officer’s uniform. So unless she was some sort of singing telegram or a...stripper, she was definitely a cop. No wonder she was so fit, Waverly thought to herself as Nicole lifted a heavy box.

“Hey, I didn’t know we were creeping on Haught Stuff again. I would have brought up popcorn,” Wynonna said as she barged into Waverly’s room.

“I’m not creeping,”- she insisted.

Wynonna nudged Waverly with her hip and grabbed the binoculars to look through them just as Nicole took off her tank top to reveal a sports bra underneath. She let out a low whistle and smirked. 

“Yeah, totally not creeping at all,” she said sarcastically.

“You’re awful,” Waverly said, cheeks a bright red. “She wasn’t doing… _that_ when I was watching.”

Still, Waverly couldn’t help but put the binoculars to her eyes and take a peek at Nicole as she stretched her arms over her head. Her torso was lean, the curves of her abs apparent on her stomach. Waverly watched how her biceps bulged as she picked up another box, heat prickling up her neck at the sight.

Wynonna cleared her throat and Waverly blushed, dropping the binoculars and hoping it wasn’t apparent that she had been checking Nicole out.

“What?”

Wynonna chuckled. “Baby girl, you need to get laid.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, flipping Wynonna off as she stomped out of the room.

***

The phone rang again and Waverly groaned, pushing sleep from her eyes as she tried to get out of bed. 

“I’m coming,” she mumbled to no one, blindly walking to the coffee table where she had left her phone for some reason. “Hello?”

“Hey, Waverly? Waverly Earp?” 

Nicole’s familiar and friendly voice helped wake Waverly up.

“Oh, Officer Haught,” Waverly said, pushing her hair back as if Nicole could see how tousled from sleep it was. “What’s wrong?”

Her sleep deprived brain tried to think why Nicole could possibly be calling. Then she remembered Gus’ phone call from the Sheriff late one night. Wynonna had gone out that night. What if-

“Is Wynonna okay?” she asked suddenly, gripping her phone with both hands.

“Wynonna’s fine,” Nicole assured Waverly. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to loosen her grip on her phone. “She’s not hurt, but we have her in our drunk tank.”

Waverly groaned. “What’d she do this time?”

“Just started a fight. No one got hurt but I had to bring her in,” Nicole said. “Anyways. I was calling for you to come get her.”

Waverly froze again. To go...get Wynonna. To go outside and get in a car and-

Her palms started to sweat and she licked her suddenly dry lips. 

“I um-,” Waverly said shaking her head. “Can she just...stay the night there? She knows what she did.”

There was a brief silence on the line for a moment before Nicole spoke again. “Actually, you have to come get her now. The drunk tank is full and we have nowhere to put her. You need to come get her tonight.”

Panic fluttered like an injured bird in her chest. Fluttering and flailing about, clutching at her lungs.

“S-she can just sit in the lobby.”

“Waverly,” Nicole said a little more firmly. “She has to be gone tonight. If you won’t come get her is there anyone else that will-”

“I just-...is Sheriff Nedley there? He usually handles Wynonna,” Waverly said. Nedley knew the situation. He would always make Wynonna stay or give her a ride home. Anything so that Waverly didn’t even have to think about leaving the house.

“No, he had to duck out real quick,” Nicole chuckled in disbelief. “Man, she really must have ticked you off if you don’t even want to come pick her up from us-”

“I can’t!” Waverly blurted, lungs suddenly feeling too big for her chest. “I can’t come get her and-...Sorry. I’m sorry just...sorry.”

Waverly hung up the phone and set it on her nightstand. She stared at it for a moment, half expecting a call back that never came. She quickly crawled back into her bed and pulled three blankets around her, acutely aware that Wynonna wasn’t just down stairs. But she was safe. At the police station. But safe. With Nicole Very-Much-Not-Single Haught who she might have just spilled her anxiety to.

“Great,” she said on a long breath out.

***

Waverly had just finished pulling on her shirt when there was a knock on the door downstairs. She ran down the stairs, ready to call Nedley if it wasn’t Wynonna. She hated that her sister had to spend the night in the drunk tank but it was the only option.

She looked out the peephole and saw Wynonna before swinging the door open. 

“Thank god,” she said, grabbing Wynonna by the front of the jacket and pulling her past the threshold so she could hug her. She smelled like cigarette smoke, stale beer and...a urinal? Waverly didn’t want to know. Wynonna groaned and patted Waverly’s back half heartedly. 

“Coffee,” Wynonna grumbled as she pulled back, kissed the side of Waverly’s head and shuffled to the kitchen. Waverly noticed Nicole standing a little further back on the porch for the first time and smiled awkwardly at her. She blushed, remembering their conversation the night before and crossed her arms self consciously in front of her chest.

“Hey,” Waverly said. “I’m sorry about...last night-”

“No, Waverly, please,” Nicole said taking a step closer. “I didn’t know. I’m really sorry. I wouldn’t have called you if I’d known.”

Waverly scoffed. “It’s nothing for you to apologize for. It’s just my own...freakish qualities.”

“It’s not freakish,” Nicole said. “And I promise it won’t happen again. I got all the proper procedure from Nedley.”

Waverly looked down at her feet. Toes right at the edge of the floorboard. One more step and she would be outside. Just the thought made her heart clench in fear.

“Thank you for bringing Wynonna home,” Waverly said, finally looking back up at Nicole. She just looked so pretty with the morning sun reflecting in her hair. Waverly sighed and felt herself relax a little. “Want some coffee? Some breakfast. It’s the least I can do.”

Nicole smiled so widely that Waverly was taken back for a second. “Sure. Shae is still at work so...I was just going to eat a granola bar and be done with it.”

“Nonsense,” Waverly said, only flinching slightly at the mention of Shae. Nicole’s _girlfriend_ no doubt. “I’ll get a real breakfast in you.”

“Sounds perfect,” Nicole breathed. Waverly took a step to the side so that Nicole could come in. She shut the door softly, smile forcing its way onto her lips as she repeated.

“Perfect.”

***

“Officer Haught Stuff’s real nice, huh?” Wynonna said almost immediately after Nicole left. 

Waverly just hummed as she put plates back in the cupboard. She knew it was best not to engage Wynonna on her little prodding moments. Anything to get a rise out of Waverly.

“She was real gentle with those handcuffs when she brought me in,” Wynonna said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. 

“She seems very _professional_ ,” Waverly made a point of saying as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

“Her girlfriend doesn’t seem to be around much, huh?” Wynonna continued. “Little absent. Maybe she needs some...company.”

“I’m sure her girlfriend is very nice, Wynonna,” Waverly said. She squinted at her sister and said suddenly. “I think I can go out on the porch.”

Wynonna blinked at her for a moment before smiling widely. “Great! Let’s try it.”

“Right now?” Waverly asked with a tilt of her head, pursing her lips.

“Yes. If you want,” Wynonna added at the end. “It’s just...such a nice day.”

“I was thinking maybe...tomorrow?” Waverly said. “Tomorrow well...tomorrow is Sunday and Nicole mows the lawn on Sundays so I thought...I could go on the porch and say hi.”

Wynonna smirked. “Go on the porch and perv you mean.”

Waverly suddenly found her hands very interesting as she tried to keep down her blush. “Tomorrow,” was all she said before heading back up to her room.

***

On second thought, it felt a little ridiculous to get dressed up to...go outside. Not even outside. On the porch. Waverly looked at herself in the full length mirror, moving the ends of her skirt a little bit as she touched her flawless braid one last time. 

Yeah. She was just going outside. But going outside took a lot these days. 

She padded down the stairs and saw the front door was already open. Wynonna was sitting on one of the porch chairs, head tipped back and eyes closed as she soaked in the sun. Waverly was envious of how easy it was for her. Why was everything so easy for Wynonna? She had suffered the same tragedies as Waverly, so why wasn’t she stuck with crippling anxiety that made every day functioning so difficult?

But then, she figured, Wynonna dealt with it in her own ways. The drinking and the devil-may-care attitude were her own ways of dealing. 

Waverly stood in front of the doorway, daring as much to lean against the frame as she looked at Wynonna.

“Ready?” Wynonna asked without even opening her eyes. “It’s nice out.”

Waverly licked her lips and glanced towards the street. Easy. Quiet. Everything was fine. Nothing would hurt her on the porch. Her mind flashed to a news story she heard once about a car plowing into the front of a house, killing the whole family who was sitting in the living room watching television.

For a moment, her stomach felt like she might be sick but she shook it off. The likelihood of that was low, she reminded herself, and took a deep breath to calm her breathing.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Waverly said with a nod of her head. Nicole’s garage door opened and she couldn’t help but smile as the redhead came into view. For some reason, just looking at her gave Waverly some reassurance. Before she could talk herself out of it, Waverly took a quick step onto the porch. The wood was warm under her bare feet, the sun beaming down on it. She could feel the sun’s rays heating her skin and warming her blood.

Waverly swallowed thickly, focusing on breathing in...and out...her heart was beating like a drum in her chest but she just focused on the in...and the out.

“Come ‘ere,” Wynonna said, hand reaching out and just barely grazing Waverly’s hand. She gripped Wynonna’s hand immediately and let herself be pulled towards the bench. She sat next to Wynonna and looped their arms together. The press of Wynonna against her side gave Waverly a bit of comfort, at least enough to control her heart rate.

But when Nicole started pushing the lawnmower, it sped up again. Waverly sighed and Wynonna chuckled knowingly.

“Proud of you, baby girl,” Wynonna said as she kissed the side of her head.

“I’m just sitting on the porch,” Waverly said as she ducked her head, fingers playing with the edge of her braid.

Wynonna shook her head. “Don’t minimize this. It’s a big deal. Okay? You should be proud. Even if it’s just because you want some of that fire crotch.”

Waverly bumped Wynonna with her shoulder but didn’t bother hiding her smile as Nicole waved at them from her lawn. She waved back and muttered under her breath to Wynonna. “Shut up.”

“Oh...she’s coming over,” Wynonna said, hitting Waverly’s leg. “Okay, I’m gonna go inside.”

“What? Why?” Waverly asked, gripping Wynonna’s arm tighter. She watched Nicole until she got to the street then had to turn away. That was one thing Waverly couldn’t do. Watch people cross the street. There were too many things that could go wrong.

“Just talk to her,” Wynonna hissed as Nicole got to their side of the street.

“Wynonna!” Waverly said as Wynonna gave her a thumbs up and disappeared into the house just as Nicole made it to the porch.

“Hey,” Nicole said with a wide smile. “Nice to see you outside-” she blushed. “I mean, um...I’m sorry. Was that offensive? I just meant I’m g-glad you’re outside.”

Waverly smiled at the nervous way Nicole stuffed her hands into her pants and shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s not-...I don’t usually make it onto the porch. And that’s okay to say.”

Nicole smiled in relief and leaned against the porch railing. “I was actually wondering if um...you needed your lawn mowed?”

“She sure does!” Wynonna shouted from inside the house.

Waverly blushed and shook her head. “Ignore her,” Waverly said through clenched teeth. “You don’t have to-...I mean...if you want. It would be...appreciated. Wynonna really sucks at it.”

Nicole laughed and nodded. “It’s the least I can do. I’ll do it, no problem.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said.

“Anytime,” Nicole said with a dimpled smile that made Waverly weak in the knees.

Admittedly, Waverly hardly thought about being outside while she was watching Nicole mow. Pushing the lawnmower made her arm muscles stand out in the best way. Not to mention her ass in her jeans. Waverly felt herself starting to sweat and it definitely wasn’t from the sun. As Nicole finished, she stood there with her hands on her hips to survey her work. After a satisfied nod, she lifted the edge of her shirt to wipe the sweat off her face. Waverly’s eyes followed the movement, eyes dropping to her toned stomach and she twisted the edge of her dress in her hands.

Maybe Wynonna was right. She really did need her lawn mowed.

Nicole looked back up and caught Waverly looking at her. She blushed and waved awkwardly. Nicole waved back with a smile.

“How’s it look?”

“Beautiful,” Waverly said with an embarrassing sigh.

Nicole ducked her head modestly as she pushed some hair from her face and Waverly’s heart flipped over in her chest, heat settling low in her stomach. She walked up the two steps of the porch and stood close to Waverly, like they were two magnets being drawn together for some unknown reason. 

Waverly could smell her. Smell the grass clippings and the vague hint of sweat. But mostly she smelled like vanilla dipped donuts. Waverly felt herself almost leaning towards Nicole, her hands begging to touch her. So she clasped them in front of her instead. 

“Waverly,” Nicole started shyly, “I...have a question.”

“And I hopefully have an answer,” Waverly replied. Her heart fluttered in hope but she tampered it, reminding herself that Nicole was very much taken. 

“Well, I know with your-...with the way the world is, you just kinda talk to Wynonna all day,” Nicole said. “So I wondered if I could come over once in a while and just…hang out? I just- this might seem weird. I’m sorry if it does I just...want to...spend time with you.”

Waverly’s stubborn heart couldn’t help but hope anyways. Especially with the way Nicole was rubbing the back of her neck. 

“Yeah, no, that doesn’t sound weird,” Waverly managed. “I’d...like that a lot.”

Nicole smiled widely. “Good. I’m-...good.”

A fancy looking car pulled into Nicole’s driveway and Waverly watched as a tall, beautiful woman got out. It didn’t click with Waverly at first until-

“Oh, looks like Shae’s home,” Nicole said, waving at the other woman who waved back with a kind smile. 

Waverly’s stomach dropped. “Oh. She’s...beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Nicole sighed. “I got lucky.” Nicole cleared her throat and turned back to Waverly. “Can I come over tomorrow? I’m not working.”

Shae was barely a blip on Waverly’s radar when she nodded yes.

***

“See you’re wearing your unnecessary crop top for your date today,” Wynonna said from the kitchen as Waverly came down the stairs. She gave Wynonna a look.

“It’s not a date and I just...grabbed the first thing I saw,” Waverly said looking down at her jeans and high cut shirt. So what if it showed off her abs? It’s not like Nicole was available. It didn’t matter anyways.

Wynonna came out of the kitchen and looked Waverly over with a scoff. “Whatever you say, baby girl. I’m leaving you and Haught Shot to it,” she gave Waverly a little salute before heading towards the front door. Waverly felt a mild panic but kept it down. She wasn’t sure if it was from the idea of Wynonna going out or because she’d be alone with Nicole. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to Shorty’s and to run some errands. I’ll text you as I get everywhere, okay?” Wynonna said, fixing Waverly with a serious look. Waverly felt herself breathe a little lighter and nodded.

“Thank you.”

Wynonna winked at Waverly and grabbed her car keys from the hook next to the door. She swung open the door and Nicole was there, fist raised like she was about to knock.

“Ah, Waves! Look what the cat dragged in!” Wynonna said before clapping Nicole on the back. She leaned a little more towards Nicole and said quietly. “No movies with car crashes or disasters. Fantasy is best-”

“Wynonna! I can hear you!” Waverly blushed. It was embarrassing enough that she was stuck in the house, now Wynonna was giving Nicole _rules_. Wynonna blew Waverly a sarcastic kiss and left, leaving Nicole standing in the doorway with what looked like a board game tucked under her arm and some movies in the other.

“I didn’t know what to bring?” Nicole said with that charming smile that got Waverly every time. Waverly tucked some hair behind her ear nervously and wondered how Nicole still looked so attractive in a button up and jeans. Nothing special. But still...she blushed.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Waverly asked. She pointed her chin towards the pile in Nicole’s hand. “What’d you bring?”

They ended up putting on some mindless romantic comedy. But mostly they just talked through it. After the initial awkwardness and obligatory small talk, Waverly started to really have a good time. It felt like she...knew Nicole. She swore if she squeezed her eyes shut she could conjure up memories of her that never happened. It made her wonder if she was going insane on top of being agoraphobic. 

Sitting on opposite sides of the couch, they faced each other, their socked feet barely touching in the middle. They had stopped talking a moment ago and were just looking at each other. Waverly wasn’t sure how long it had been, but really she could look into Nicole’s eyes forever. As cheesy as it sounded. 

A slow smile pulled at Nicole’s lips and Waverly suddenly felt self conscious.

“What?” she asked, pushing her hair back from her face.

“What?” Nicole repeated, smile even wider.

Waverly shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chest. “You’re staring.”

“No I’m not, you’re staring,” Nicole teased, sitting up and crossing her legs in front of her. 

Waverly squinted at her and smiled back. Nicole squinted back but eventually broke, chuckling and leaning her head against the back of the couch. 

“I don’t know. There’s just...something about you, Waverly,” she said softly.

Waverly’s heart wanted to explode as she forced down a smile. “What do you mean? Because I’m...a freak-”

“You’re not a freak,” Nicole corrected quickly. “I don’t know there’s just...I don’t know how to describe it without sounding like a weirdo but...you’re special, Waverly. And I want to find out...why.”

Waverly couldn’t help the wide smile that broke out across her face. “I’m just a girl trapped in her own house and in her own mind. Nothing too great here.”

“I never pegged you for a liar,” Nicole joked just as her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She glanced over and Waverly followed her eyes.

_Shae_

Waverly’s smile fell and she pulled her knees tighter to her chest.

“I better go,” Nicole said untangling herself from the couch and standing up. Waverly followed suit, following Nicole to the door. She opened the door and turned around suddenly, catching Waverly by surprise. “Can I come over again? Tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Waverly smiled. Nicole surprised her by pulling her into a hug. Her arms automatically wrapped around Nicole, head tucked under her chin as her eye fluttered shut at the contact. She could feel her own heart beating against her chest and wondered if Nicole could feel it too.

“Thank you for hanging out,” Nicole said. Waverly could feel her words vibrating through her chest and found a comfort in it.

“Thank you for coming over,” Waverly said. 

They held each other in silence for a moment before Waverly felt Nicole’s phone buzz in her pocket. They pulled apart suddenly, both blushing. Nicole took a step back onto the porch like she was trying to put distance between them and smiled.

“Goodnight, Waverly.”

“Goodnight,” Waverly said as the redhead turned around and started walking back to her house. She watched her go, closing the door before she got to the street and leaned against the door. “Goddamnit.”

***

Nicole came over every day that she wasn’t at work. Even then she would stop by after work for a few moments just to say hi. 

Waverly knew they weren’t...together. Or dating or seeing each other in any way. But there was something about Nicole...about the way she would look at her that Waverly swore something else was there. 

And...maybe she would use her binoculars to just see what Nicole was doing at night. It wasn’t...weird.

Waverly was just bored and it was a form of entertainment. Plus it was never nefarious. She would turn away and blush when Nicole changed. Mostly she just watched her cook dinner and move around the house. How she...would cuddle with Shae on the couch at night when they watched tv.

Sometimes Waverly would wrap herself in a blanket and wonder what it would be like if Nicole held her the way she held Shae.

But Waverly quickly shook those thoughts out of her head. Those thoughts were dangerous. Like the night before when they ended up sitting close together on the couch while another romantic movie played. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen this,” Nicole scoffed as one of the characters wandered into a flower shop.

Waverly shrugged. “Wynonna’s taste in movies isn’t exactly great. Or the gayest.”

“Well I’m honored I’m the one you’re watching it with for the first time,” Nicole said as she leaned over, voice soft. Chills ran up Waverly’s spine and she nodded, afraid to say anything else. Their hands rested between them on the couch and Waverly felt their pinkies brush together. Her mouth felt dry and she tried to remain calm, heart in her throat. 

She was just imagining it. She was sure. But she felt their pinkys hook together ever so softly and licked her lips. Was she doing this? Was Nicole doing this? She didn’t know. All Waverly could feel was their hands slowly meeting, fingers tangling with each other’s as they both stayed staring at the screen.

Waverly’s heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest but she just licked her lips and stayed looking at the tv. Nicole’s hand was so...soft and warm and...right. She was worried even the smallest breath out of place would break whatever spell they were under.

Suddenly, Nicole’s voice broke the silence. “Waves?”

“Hm?” Waverly turned and looked at Nicole whose face was closer than before. Waverly swallowed thickly, eyes darting down to Nicole’s lips. She was just _so close_.

“I just-...” Nicole licked her lips and Waverly swore she saw her look at her lips. “Have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”

Waverly felt her breath catch. She frowned for a minute before smiling again. “I feel like...you’ve said that to me before.”

Nicole frowned. “R-really?”

Waverly nodded. “Kinda like-”

“-Deja vu?” Nicole finished as her face got a little closer. “Like we’ve...done this before.”

”Yeah,” Waverly agreed. Without thinking she reached up and pushed some of Nicole’s hair behind her ear. Nicole leaned into her touch and Waverly felt their noses brush together. She could feel Nicole’s breath playing on her lips and her stomach heated. Anticipation rolled through her veins and she thought that this...this was the moment.

“Waves,” Nicole breathed.

“Yes?” Waverly whispered.

The buzzing of Nicole’s phone broke through their moment like a freight train and Waverly jumped back from Nicole, heart in her throat. Waverly pulled her hands into her lap and began picking at the skin on her thumb nervously.

This was stupid. Had she really almost just kissed Nicole? The very taken Nicole?

Nicole fumbled with her phone for a moment, cheeks matching her hair as she answered. “H-hello? Shae?”

Waverly tuned out, curling up on the other side of the couch and focusing on the television even if she wasn’t actually watching. She could hear Nicole talking about couldn’t make out what she was saying over the noise happening in her head. She was being stupid. So so stupid.

This weird feeling...like Nicole was hers...it had to go away. Just another delusion.

“Waves,” Nicole said, getting her attention. Waverly hummed and looked at her, trying to remain looking uneffected. “Waverly I should...go.”

Waverly nodded and looked back at the television. She could feel Nicole standing next to the couch and something hung in the air between them. Something unsaid…

She dared to look over at Nicole who looked so...confused. Conflicted.

“Can I...come back tomorrow?” Nicole asked with a small tilt of her head.

“Of course,” Waverly said. She smiled despite herself and despite the tears pressing behind her eyes. “Of course.”

Nicole nodded and let out a shallow breath before turning around and walking back out of the house. Waverly allowed herself to cry for five minutes over a girl that wasn’t hers.

***

With her legs folded up to her chest, Waverly stared out the window at the light shining in Nicole’s living room. The binoculars sat besides her. Untouched. She wanted to look, to see just a glimpse of Nicole’s face. But she could still so vividly remember how it felt to have Nicole’s face so close to her own.

And Shae was-...there. And beautiful and perfect and not stuck in a house. Not confined like a bird unwilling to leave it’s own cage. Pathetic and alone. 

Waverly could still feel the pounding between her legs from the brief touch she shared with Nicole. It was becoming infuriating. Nicole’s scent still surrounded her like a cloud and it wasn’t making the deep heat in her bones go away. 

The living room light turned off and Waverly waited a moment before the bedroom light turned on. The curtains were still open and Waverly could almost make out two figures in the room. Curiosity got the best of her and she held the binoculars to her eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they did she saw Nicole moving about the room. 

Suddenly Shae walked up behind her, looping her arms around her shoulders and putting her face in her neck. Waverly’s heart ached as Nicole’s hands covered Shae’s and she turned in her arms. She watched as Nicole’s hands covered Shae’s hips and brought her close, their lips melding together effortlessly.

Waverly imagined herself there...kissing Nicole. She imagined...How soft her lips were and how Nicole’s tongue would slip into her mouth and taste all of her. Strong hands on her hips...bringing their bodies closer than she thought possible. The heat in Waverly’s stomach grew and her mouth felt dry. 

Shae’s hands slipped under Nicole’s shirt and up her back. Waverly could bet it was strong...muscular... she imagined feeling the bumps of her spine under her fingers and the muscles over her shoulder blades flexing as she scratched down the creamy skin. 

Waverly watched as Shae took a step back, ruining the magic for a moment as she slipped her dress over her head and to the floor. Nicole pulled their bodies back together and walked her back to the bed. Shae laid back on the bed and Nicole stood at the end looking down at her.

Waverly swore that Nicole’s eyes flickered to the window, like she knew Waverly was watching, and their eyes met through the binoculars. Waverly’s breath caught in her throat as Nicole slowly pulled her shirt over her head and threw it to the floor. She reached behind herself and slipped off her bra, creamy breasts on display as she reached for the button of her pants.

Waverly knew she should look away. She knew she should put the binoculars down and forget this ever happened. But it was like her hand was stuck in place, holding the binoculars up. Waverly’s body betrayed her, the apex of her thighs pounding with arousal. She whimpered to herself, grip tight on the binoculars as Nicole popped the button of her pants open and slowly pushed her jeans down her legs.

Waverly wanted to taste every inch of pale skin on display. She probably tasted like she smelled, vanilla dipped donuts. She watched as Nicole slowly crawled over Shae, connecting their lips again in a fiery kiss.

She threw the binoculars to the bed, unable to watch anymore. She was flushed, chest heaving and body overheating. Waverly needed to do something about it. Before she went crazy. 

With one last look at the window, Waverly laid back onto the bed and imagined Nicole crawling over her like she had crawled over Shae. Waverly ran a hand through her hair and trailed her fingers down the side of her neck, feeling her own pulse quicken under the light touch. Her eyes fluttered shut as her fingers went down her chest and palmed her own breast over her tank top.

Waverly sighed, the other hand gripping the pillow under her head. Her hand went lower and she imagined Nicole teasing her, running her fingers over the band of her sleep shorts before slipping back up the front of her shirt. It was Nicole’s fingers tweaking her nipples and making her hips jump. Nicole’s tongue circling her nipple and whispering about how much she wanted Waverly. Needed her. 

Waverly’s breath quickened. She was close already. She turned her head towards the window and looked back at Nicole’s bedroom as her hand slipped into the front of her shorts, raking through damp curls.

She could barely make out Nicole, still over Shae, their bodies rolling as if to some unknown beat. Waverly imagined Nicole’s lips on her neck as her fingers found molten heat between her thighs. Waverly whimpered, fingers dipping down to collect her own arousal before going back to circle her clit. 

“Fuck,” Waverly whispered to herself as her hips found a rhythm with her fingers. Pleasure shot up her spine and she imagined Nicole teasing her. Asking her if she wanted her. If she wanted Nicole to fuck her. She would nod yes, even if her body’s reaction was obvious. She would kiss her as Nicole slipped two fingers deep into her.

Waverly moaned, back arching as she began to fuck herself. Her strokes were long and slow as she pretended they were Nicole’s long fingers inside of her. Stretching her.

Her other hand left the white knuckle grip it had on the pillow and dipped under her shirt to tweak the hardening flesh of her nipples as her fingers sped up. She was so wet. So wet so easily and it was all for a girl she couldn’t have. A girl that was fucking someone else right now.

Waverly pushed the thought from her mind as she curled her fingers up and hit the spot that made her hips jerk. She began to move faster, fingers gliding easily in and out of herself as her palm pressed against her clit. She moved her hips, grinding the hard flesh against her own hand as she felt herself get closer.

“Fuck, baby,” Waverly whimpered, images of Nicole over her and between her legs flickering behind her eyes. It felt so real. It felt like she had felt her before. Felt the pale flesh beneath her mouth and her come in her mouth. Waverly groaned at the thought, walls clenching around herself as she brought herself to the brink of orgasm.

Waverly pushed faster into herself, small frenzied whimpers leaving her lips until she felt the coil in her belly snap. Her back arched, jaw coming unhinged as she moaned out, “Nicole!”

She moved her hips slowly, fingers still moving lazily in and out of herself as the aftershocks of her orgasm ran through her body. Waverly’s limbs went limp and as soon as the last shocks faded, Waverly only felt shame. She pulled her hand from her shorts, wiping her fingers on the outside of the material as she panted and let her heartbeat return to normal.

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself, face flushed and hair sticking to her forehead from sweat. She really was in trouble. How was she supposed to face Nicole again after...this? She curled onto her side and tried to let herself forget Nicole over her...in her. She shivered and shut her eyes, forcing herself to sleep.

***

When Nicole knocked on Waverly’s door the next morning, Waverly didn’t answer. Instead she stayed holed up in her room until she went away. Her cheeks still burned with the shame of her voyeurism from the night before.

She told Wynonna to tell Nicole that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to be in her cocoon. Yeah, it made her sound like a crazy person, but the last thing she needed was for Nicole to come by and Waverly risk not being able to control her face. How could she not blush or keep her eyes in neutral zones after… _that_. Especially when it felt so real. Waverly could have sworn it was more a memory than a fantasy.

Not only that, but Waverly knew they’d almost kissed the day before. And Waverly was certainly not going to do that to Shae. This small flare of jealousy she felt in her chest every time she thought of Shae needed to go away. She had no ownership over Nicole. They were barely friends.

Well...actually, she hoped they were more than barely friends. 

Waverly hated this. She hated feeling conflicted like this when it was keeping her from someone who could be a good friend. Maybe Shae could be a good friend too. After all, if Nicole loved her she must be great. 

If Waverly hadn’t gone and thought with her vagina and made it awkward.

It also meant that she couldn’t go on the porch anymore. Not without risking that Nicole would see her and come over anyways. Instead, Waverly sat by the window and watched her through the blinds. Waverly felt pathetic. She was pathetic. 

And a creep, apparently, with her watching Nicole through the blinds every day.

For four days she had sat behind the blinds and just...watched. Every day in the morning, Nicole would come over and ask if Waverly was feeling better. Wynonna would say no and send her on her way. And Waverly would sit in the living room with the blinds just barely open enough so she could get a glimpse of Nicole as she did chores in her front lawn. Every once in awhile, Nicole would look over at the house like she was considering coming over. A couple of times she walked all the way to the edge of the sidewalk. Then she would stop, look at the house for a little longer and then turn back around.

Except for on the fourth day.

On the fourth day, Waverly watched Nicole walk up to the edge of the sidewalk and stare at the house like she usually did. But she stared a beat longer than she usually did. Her hands clenched and unclenched into fists besides her and Waverly watched her bounce from foot to foot. 

Nicole looked up and Waverly swore they made eye contact. Her heart squeezed and Waverly got up from the couch. She walked closer to the window, her nose brushing the edge of the blinds as she watched Nicole consider her next step. 

Then she saw Nicole take her first step into the street and her mind began to move a million miles a minute. Her heart sped up and her brain was begging her to look away, but something was making her watch. Making it so that she couldn’t turn her head. Her stomach turned and she heard it before she saw it. She heard the sound of a car down the street.

Everything began to move in slow motion. She could see it out of the corner of her eye, just the barest hint of it as it began down the street. Nicole was almost halfway in the street, in the direct line of the car that was going far too fast for a residential street.

It was a nightmare Waverly had had before. It was something that played constantly in her mind and made it so that she couldn’t leave the house. Her loved ones being hurt, injured. Taken away from her again. 

“Nicole!” Waverly screamed as she ran to the door. She pulled it open and screamed again. “Nicole!” 

But it was like Nicole couldn’t hear her. She just kept walking across the street with the car barrelling towards her. She somehow made it to the edge of the porch but her legs froze. She couldn’t make it any further. This was it. All her nightmares were coming true. Waverly was going to stand here and watch Nicole get murdered. Just like she watched her dad and sister. 

Blood was rushing through her ears and she screamed again. Waverly felt the sickness in her throat and she was sure the contents of her stomach were going to come up at any moment. 

She had to save Nicole, she was the only one that would be able to do it. She knew it, something told her. If Waverly didn’t save Nicole, no one would. Her legs moved of their own accord and before she realized it, she was sprinting down her porch and across her lawn. But she kept her eyes on Nicole, getting closer and closer. Her mind was screaming, telling her to turn around and stop. That she was making things worse. Now that she was out of the house all her worst dreams would come true, she was sure. 

But still she kept running. She could feel the hot exhaust of the car against her leg before her body collided with Nicole’s. She pushed her out of the way, knocking her backwards and onto the pavement just as the car whizzed past them, blowing their hair to the side.

Waverly laid on top of Nicole, both breathing heavily as they processed what happened. 

“Waves, you’re out of the house,” Nicole chuckled in disbelief.

Waverly felt panic in her chest but shook her head, trying to keep it in check as she focused on Nicole. “I...am.”

Something like realization came across Nicole’s face. Like she was happy but...scared at the same time. Nicole said, small frown on her face. “Waverly I-...remember.”

Waverly frowned and shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“This isn’t real,” Nicole said, arms wrapping around Waverly. She shook her head, still overwhelmed by what had just happened. The world around them started to morph and pixilate. Large blocks of color and pictures, moving around them. 

“I don’t understand,” Waverly said, voice shaking. Nicole held her tighter and pressed their foreheads together. 

“Don’t worry. Just stay with me. Trust me,” Nicole said.

Waverly could only nod as everything went black.

***

When they blinked their eyes open again, they were in the library. Nicole felt Waverly in her arms and breathed a small sigh of relief as she sat up. Waverly looked shell shocked, eyes wide as she settled in Nicole’s lap. Her arms were around Nicole’s neck and she kept their faces close as they just breathed for a moment.

“I thought-” Waverly swallowed thickly. “I thought I was going to watch you die. I couldn’t not do anything. I-”

Waverly’s voice began to waver and Nicole shook her head. “Baby, it’s fine, I’m here. We’re here.”

“I thought I was going to lose you,” Waverly said, burying her face in Nicole’s neck. She rocked her for a little bit, her heart still beating quickly from their last dream. After a moment, Waverly pulled back with a frown. “Who’s Shae?”

Nicole blushed. “Ex-wife,” she mumbled with a small smile. 

Waverly frowned. “We’ll have to talk about her later.”

“Do we?” Nicole asked with a tilt of her head.

“She’s...officially an ex?” Waverly asked, arms smoothing over Nicole’s shoulders.

“I mean...not all the paperwork has gone through,” Nicole trailed off.

“Yeah, we’ll be talking about her later,” Waverly said before kissing her softly. Nicole felt like life had been breathed back into her lungs and suddenly everything was okay. With their foreheads pressed together, Waverly continued. “I hate this.”

“I know,” Nicole said, pulling Waverly closer. “I really hate this.”

“We need to figure this out before one of us gets hurt,” Waverly said. “They’re trying to keep us apart. I feel it now.”

“Who?” Nicole asked.

Waverly smiled, a twinkle of revenge in her eye. “Someone with a death wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	10. i won't scar your young heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting to write and share this chapter for a long time...long time. So...I hope you enjoy.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Gretta stared at the two hourglasses, the sand only slowly moving from one end to the other. She clutched the edge of the table so hard that her knuckles were white. There was a crash and a bang, making her head snap up to the fireplace where the man was standing. A broken glass was clutched in his fist as he stared intently at the fire.

“We have two days,” he said evenly. “Two days to take the littlest Earp’s soulmate away from her and you do what? Make their bond stronger.”

“I didn’t make it stronger,” Gretta gritted out. “She’s doubting things. She’s confused.”

The man turned sharply, throwing the remnants of the broken glass in the fire.

“I need her to watch her love die. And I need that to happen within the next two days. You said you could do this-”

“I can,” Gretta hissed. “Trust me.”

“I did! And they united and sped this whole process along,” he said.

“Can we stop saying united,” Gretta said, hand on her hip. “They fucked, nothing fancy about it-”

“Well they fucked and now it’s going to be harder to make the Earp turn!” the man bellowed. “You promised me a dark angel to open up Paradise and take it for ourselves and you ruined it-”

“Hey, it takes two, Sandy,” Gretta said, tone warning. “Don’t act like I’m the only one who fucked up here. You were supposed to keep them apart in the timeline.”

Sandy practically growled. “Well sometimes humans are more stubborn than they should be.”

“Apparently.”

“Lucky for you,” the man began as he strode towards a cabinet on the other side of the room. “I have a built in back up.”

He flung open the cabinets dramatically and revealed an intricate gold scale. One one side of the scale were simple weights that looked like they were glowing blue. On the other were seven bottles, filled with various amounts of what looked like black smoke. Gretta strode over to them and saw old, curling labels on them. 

_Greed. Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Pride. Sloth. Wrath._

“This is-”

“Yes,” the man said proudly. “These are the sins of our little Earp angel. Who would have thought that her being in these dreams would make her more sinful than ever. Lust, particularly, seems to be getting fed well. And Sloth almost filled all the way up with that last dream. That’s one I thought she’d never get.”

Gretta leaned forward, face close to the bottles. They were still lighter than the other weights, the scale tipping in favor of the glowing metal. “So what happens when they tip the other way?”

“Well, have you heard of an angel that tips more towards the seven deadly sins then to good?” the man said, his smile growing to an unnaturally wide one.

Gretta pricked and straightened back up. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix it before we need this. Like usual.”

She strode over to the hourglasses as she pulled a satchel out of her robe and unwound the small ribbon around the top. She undid the cloth and dropped the contents over the two hourglasses. The sand inside them burned hot, glowing bright red before settling into fine pieces of glass, edges sharp.

“It will be done,” Gretta said with a slow smile, fire reflecting in her dark eyes.

***

Nicole finished her makeshift calendar on a piece of paper right as Waverly hummed and threw another book on the growing pile in the middle of the table. She looked up at Waverly, beautiful as ever with her hair on slightly tousled from the amount of times she had run her hands through it, bottom lip pulled between her teeth and brow furrowed in concentration. 

She couldn’t help but think how Waverly almost had the same look she had when she ca-

“Nicole,” Waverly said, interrupting her thoughts. “You okay? You’re...red.”

“Fine,” Nicole said, clearing her throat and looking back down at the calendar. She had marked the date of Waverly’s accident and the day she had passed out in the snow before looking back up at Waverly. “So you didn’t see a date when you were in the hospital the last time?”

Waverly shook her head. Nicole pushed the paper towards her and shrugged. “I have a general idea of where we are. In time.”

Waverly picked up the paper and squinted at it, circling a date aggressively. “That’s the day of the Dark Moon.”

“Okay,” Nicole said, looking blankly at her. “What does that...mean?”

“According to legend, it’s the one day every decade that the line between heaven and hell gets blurred. It’s when Jacob wrestled with the angel in Genesis,” Waverly said as she pushed a Bible towards Nicole and pointed at the passage. “Supposedly it’s also when Satan tempted Adam and Eve.”

Nicole shrugged. “So? What does that have to do with us?”

“Well, Paradise is sealed off from demons and stuff, right? And what is it demons always want? To go where they’re not allowed,” Waverly said. Nicole just nodded like she knew what Waverly was talking about. “So if all this does have to do with the Dark Moon...they’ll need an angel. Specifically they need a dark angel to open up Paradise.”

“Again...I’m not quite following what that has to do with us,” Nicole said, frowning at the other woman. 

Waverly blushed and pushed some hair behind her ear, head cocked to the side. “So what if...I told you I was an angel?”

Nicole wasn’t sure whether to laugh or call Waverly out for her weird joke.

“Um-”

“I mean...half angel,” Waverly said, head moving back and forth in contemplation. “My dad was an angel and...long story. But a few months ago he was taken back into Paradise to protect the demons from coming in.”

Nicole just stared at Waverly, mouth hanging open as she tried to process. Waverly was a-...Nicole shook her head and frowned at Waverly. She had _just_ learned about the existence of the supernatural at all. And now-...Waverly wasn’t only her...soulmate...she was an _angel_?

“I’m sorry this is just...a bit to process,” Nicole said as she licked her lips, eyes still on Waverly. “So you’re a...literal angel?”

“Yep,” Waverly said with an embarrassed smile. Her nose crinkled self consciously. “Weird, huh?”

“Yes, I mean-...no,” Nicole corrected when she saw Waverly’s eyes fall. “I mean it’s a little odd just because it’s...I just learned that all this supernatural stuff is real...you know? And now you’re-...” Nicole let out a shaky breath. Waverly was still...Waverly. And to be honest...it wasn’t _that_ surprising. She smiled softly. “I mean...I kind of already knew you were an angel.”

Waverly smiled brightly but rolled her eyes. “Charmer.”

Nicole shrugged and leaned forward, reaching across the table to kiss Waverly softly. She felt her breathe a sigh of relief against her lips, their long kiss turning into soft pecks after a few moments. Both of them had wide smiles when they pulled apart, faces close. 

“Guess we should figure out what’s happening, huh?” Nicole said softly, faces still close.

“I have a...good idea,” Waverly said with a frown.

Nicole frowned back. “What is it?”

Waverly chewed on her lower lip. “Well-”

And everything went black.

***

Waverly tried not to gag as the liquor went down her throat, burning a hot trail to land in her stomach. She coughed as she pulled the bottle from her mouth and practically shoved it towards Wynonna. The taste of fake sugar and flavoring hit her tongue after that and she gagged.

“You’re right, that’s disgusting,” Waverly said, eyes watering.

“Why did you think that bubblegum sake was a good idea?” Wynonna asked, taking a long swig that ended in a gag.

“It seemed fun and whimsical,” Waverly said, alcohol buzzing through her brain. Wynonna rolled her eyes and wadded up another t-shirt to throw in her duffle bag. Waverly took the shirt back out of the duffle bag and folded the shirt. Wynonna kept haphazardly throwing clothes into the duffle bag and Waverly kept taking them back out to fold them. 

“You’re fucking with my packing style, baby girl,” Wynonna complained, putting a hand on her hip.

Waverly gave her a look. “I don’t see any packing style here at all. Just you being a slob.”

“That hurts,” Wynonna said dramatically, putting a hand to her chest.

“Then learn to fold,” Waverly said with a smile. 

Wynonna threw herself on the bed, hair splayed out on the pillows. “Why would I when you do it for me?”

“Yes, well, I’m not going to be on the road with you catching criminals, am I?” Waverly said a little bitterly.

Wynonna turned onto her side, head propped up on her elbow as she looked at Waverly, her face sobering. “Is this what this is about? You want to go with?”

Waverly shrugged and tried to keep the childish pout off her face as she focused on the clothes she was folding. “I just...want to help.”

“You are helping,” Wynonna said, putting her hand on Waverly’s knee. “You’re staying here and...holding down the fort.”

“Sounds like a nice way of saying I’m just not included,” Waverly muttered.

“Hey,” Wynonna said, squeezing her knee. “We need you to stay and run Shorty’s and finish your classes. Okay? Remember, you’re not a full agent yet. You couldn’t really do anything even if I you wanted to.”

Waverly started putting the neatly folded shirts back in Wynonna’s duffle bag. She knew she was right. Waverly had no right to go out tracking down killers with her sister. But that still didn’t mean she didn’t _want_ to.

“I know,” Waverly mumbled, wrinkling up her nose before she admitted. “I just want to help,” she repeated softly.

“Soon, baby girl,” Wynonna said, sitting up just to kiss Waverly’s forehead. “Just not yet. Okay? Keep being your wonderful self here.”

“Promise to be careful?” Waverly said. “I’ve already talked to Dolls and Shapiro about keeping you in line.”

“You can’t get drunk on bubblegum sake with me the night before I leave just to tell me to be careful,” Wynonna joked. “But yes, I promise I’ll be careful. Okay, Waves?”

“That’s all I ask,” Waverly said with a sigh.

“But don’t worry,” Wynonna said with a wink. “This motherfucker doesn’t stand a chance. We have ‘em right where we want him. Idiot led us right to him with last week’s victim.”

Waverly squinted. “Unless that was his plan the whole time.”

Wynonna shook her head and reached for the bottle of sake again. “I’m pretty confident on this one, Waves. Don’t you worry. This guy’s all kinds of fucked up but he has no idea how fucked up I am too.”

“You’re not killing and carefully carving up bodies kinda fucked up,” Waverly reminded her. “That’s a special sort of fucked up. Don’t you think?”

“If you say so,” Wynonna grimaced, tipping the bottle back into her mouth. “Everything these days is pretty fucked up.”

“You got that right.”

***

Waverly slid the pint of beer across the bar to a customer, giving her signature smile as they slapped a tip on a table and walked away. She quickly put the money in her pocket and moved onto the next customer. She groaned internally when she saw teeth far too white for their own good staring at her.

“Champ,” Waverly said stiffly. “What can I get you?”

Champ licked his lips and obnoxiously leaned forward with his elbows on the wood as he got into Waverly’s space even from across the bar.

“I think you know what you can get me, baby,” he said with an over exaggerated wink. “Or actually, what I can get you.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, smile falling from her face. “Do you want a beer? If not, leave.”

Champ held up his hands in surrender. “Woah woah woah, Waves, I’m just trying to give you another chance here-”

“I don’t think it works that way when I broke up with _you_ ,” Waverly pointed out. “A year ago, I might add.”

Waverly signaled for Rosita to take over the bar so that she could go get more gin from the store room. Mostly she wanted to take a break from Champ. If she was out of sight for a few minutes maybe he would move on to some other unfortunate girl. 

She slipped out from behind the bar and was about to head to the back when Champ cut off her path, standing in front of the door. 

“Come on, babe,” he said, eyes roaming over Waverly in a way that made her cringe.

“Leave me alone, Champ,” Waverly said sternly. “I don’t have the patience for you today.”

Champ scoffed. “Why are you being like this? I know you want it.”

He grabbed her wrist and yanked it towards his crotch. She pulled her wrist from his grip, stomach turning uncomfortably. 

“I swear to god, Champ-“

“Is there a problem here?” Waverly bristled at the second voice but didn’t take her eyes off of Champ. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” Waverly said through clenched teeth. Her eyes flickered to the third person and saw a tall, red headed woman in a police uniform. Admittedly, Waverly’s eyes lingered a little longer than normal and she quickly looked away. 

“Yeah, Waves here was about to go to the storeroom with me,” Champ said wiggling his eyebrows and reaching for her hand again. 

“Leave me alone, Champ!” Waverly hissed. 

Champ’s face crumbled into anger and he took a step towards Waverly. But the officer quickly stepped in front of him, thumbs in her belt loops. 

“I believe she asked you to leave her alone,” the officer said evenly. “So I would suggest you go back into the bar and mind your own business, sir.”

For the first time, Champ’s focus switched to the officer. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

All Waverly could see was the officer’s back, but it looked like her spine straightened. “Officer Haught. Purgatory Sheriff’s Department. So if you don’t want to walk out of here in handcuffs, you’ll leave this very patient person alone.”

Champ looked from Officer Haught to Waverly and finally deflated a little. “I’ll see you later, Waves.” 

He purposely bumped Haught’s shoulder as he passed and went back into the main part of Shorty’s. Waverly let out a relieved sigh and smiled as the officer turned around, posture relaxing. 

“You okay?” The officer asked with a small smile. 

Waverly nodded. “I feel like I need to give you the disclaimer that I could have handled that on my own,” she said, smile still in place. “But thank you. Anyways. Officer Haught.”

“You can call me Nicole,” she said with a crooked, dimpled smile that made Waverly a little weak in the knees. “Especially since I’m not actually on duty right now. I just saw a citizen in distress and thought I’d see if I could help.”

“Well aren’t you chivalrous,” Waverly flirted, eyelashes fluttering. “Thank you, Officer-...Nicole.”

“Any time, ma’am,” Nicole said softly, a delicate blush settling over the bridge of her nose. Waverly took in the open top button of her uniform and the way her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. She’d never really given a good look at the new uniforms until now. She would have to thank whoever chose them.

“I-...can I at least get you a drink? For your trouble?” Waverly asked, playing with the end of her braid.

Nicole’s smile widened. “Um. Sure. That would be great.”

“Great!” Waverly repeated, heart beating just a little faster. She licked her lips, eyes darting over towards the door behind Nicole. “After I-...I still have to go to the storeroom.”

Nicole looked at her blankly as if trying to decipher what Waverly said. Waverly awkwardly pointed to the door directly behind Nicole and she glanced over her shoulder before realizing what Waverly was trying to say.

“Oh! Right, sorry,” Nicole said with a small chuckle, blush deepening. She took a step to the side just as Waverly moved to the same side. They shuffled back and forth awkwardly, shy smiles and awkward chuckles until Nicole finally just stepped to the side, rubbing the back of her neck. She made a sweeping gesture for Waverly to make her way into the storeroom and Waverly chuckled again.

“Thanks,” Waverly said stepping towards the storeroom. “I’ll meet you at the bar.”

Nicole nodded and strode off towards the bar. Waverly pressed her back against the storeroom door, hand on the knob, just so she could watch Nicole walk away. It was just to see all the aspects of the new uniform, of course. About the boots and the way the black pants seemed to be tailored quite nicely in the back. Nicole looked over her shoulder and smiled smugly when she caught Waverly’s eye. Waverly felt her cheeks tint at being caught and quickly went into the storeroom.

She gathered a few bottles of things they were low on and headed back into the bar as quickly as she could. Nicole was sitting at the end of the bar, browsing through her phone as Waverly slipped back behind the bar. Nicole’s eyes found hers immediately and she set her phone down on the table. 

“Welcome back,” Nicole said, dimpled smile returning to her face.

“What can I get you?” Waverly asked as she put away the new bottles. 

“Just whatever’s on tap would be great,” Nicole said, folding her hands in front of her. Waverly watched her long fingers fold together and noticed several even paler scars on Nicole’s hands. Little scratches and nicks, some slightly raised, other soft looking. Waverly wondered how she had gotten them, but figured that wasn’t first drink conversation.

She poured Nicole’s drink and slid it across to the officer. Nicole took the glass between her hands and nodded in thanks.

“So,” Waverly said as she picked up a rag and began to wipe down the wood bar, “how long have you been in town?”

“How did you know I was new around here?” Nicole said as she took a long sip of her beer.

Waverly shrugged. “This is Purgatory. I work at the main bar. I know everyone that comes in and out of here.”

“Fair point,” Nicole said as she set the glass back on the bar. “I’ve been here for about a week now. Transferred from the city.”

“Nedley must be excited to get some new blood around here,” Waverly said. “Chrissy mentioned that he’s been looking to poach someone good.”

“Chrissy is the Sheriff’s daughter?” Nicole asked, squinting her eyes like she was trying to remember. Waverly simply nodded as she set the rag to the side.

“She did speak very highly of Nedley’s new recruit,” Waverly said, remembering her conversation with her best friend. She had mentioned they were just Waverly’s type but not much more than that. At least Chrissy seemed to know her type.

Nicole ducked her head humbly. “Yeah, well, I’m just tryin’ a make a good impression. Being new and all.”

Waverly leaned forward and brought her voice down like she was telling Nicole a secret. “Well I don’t think you have to worry about that. Seems like you’re already making a pretty good impression. Even saving damsels when you’re off the clock.”

“I would call you anything but a damsel,” Nicole chuckled, brown eyes looking up through her lashes at Waverly. She felt her breath catch in her throat when their eyes caught each other. She licked her lips and held Nicole’s gaze for one daring moment longer before looking back down.

Nicole finished off her beer, empty glass still between her hands as she tapped on the side. “Thanks for the drink,” she said simply, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “I have to get going but...I’m sure I’ll see you around?”

Waverly smiled widely, heart swelling a little in hopefulness. “Yes. I’m sure you will.”

Nicole nodded, long limbs stretching as she slid off the stool. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card, sliding it over the bar towards Waverly. 

“Give me a call if you have any more problems,” Nicole said, dimples impossibly deep. Her hand lingered on the card as Waverly slid her hand across the bar to take it, their fingers brushing ever so slightly. Waverly felt sparks at the touch. “Have a good night, Waverly.”

“Goodnight, Nicole,” Waverly said a little dreamily as Nicole tucked some hair behind her ear and swaggered out the front door. But not before fixing Champ with a look as he stood over near one of the pool tables.

“Wow,” Waverly whispered to herself as she looked down at the business card. “Nicole Haught.”

***

The next day, Nicole came in again. This time she had her uniform done up properly and a beanie tight on her head with the PSD logo on the front. Waverly couldn’t help but smile at her, stomach fluttering in excitement.

“Hey,” Nicole said as she slid onto the stool in front of the bar. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Waverly smiled back. “I could say the same about you.”

Nicole shrugged, same charming smile on her face from the other night. “I heard the good bartender was here today. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Waverly blushed. “Well, I wouldn’t say I’m the _best._ ”

“Good because I was talking about Rosita,” Nicole said, smile widening as she tilted her chin towards the other woman hustling behind the bar. 

Waverly blushed even deeper and gave Nicole an incredulous look. “How dare you-”

Nicole chuckled. “I’m just kidding.”

“You’re a jerk. I shouldn’t even serve you,” Waverly teased, leaning her elbows on the table and getting a little closer to the other woman. 

Nicole gasped, trying to appear offended. “You would never. Who would protect you from all the creeps around here?”

“I would protect myself, thank you very much,” Waverly said as she straightened up. “Can I get you a beer?”

“Yes, please,” Nicole said as Waverly busied herself with her drink. Waverly could feel Nicole’s eyes on her and even though from the typical clientele, it made Waverly squirm, with Nicole it just warmed her stomach in a pleasant way.

She slid the beer across the bar towards Nicole.

“Best beer pourer in Purgatory,” Nicole said with a cheeky smile.

“Just Purgatory? Should I be offended?” Waverly asked.

Nicole shrugged and took a long sip. “I just want to be sure before I really commit to that statement.”

Waverly smiled and shook her head. “Fine. How’s your first week in Purgatory been? Missing the big city?”

“The first week’s been great. Everyone in this town is the sweetest,” Nicole said, finger running along the edge of glass. “I don’t miss the big city much. There’s too many people. Too much noise. This is much more my speed.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying it here,” Waverly said. “The people are pretty great. You know...I was voted the nicest person in Purgatory.”

Nicole chuckled and smiled even wider. “I’m not surprised by that.”

“It’s all in the smile and wave,” Waverly said with a small demonstration. 

“You’re really good at that,” Nicole said.

“Thank you,” Waverly flirted. “Just one of the many things I’m good at.”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline as pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Her voice dropped a few octaves when she replied. “Maybe I’ll see some of these other things you’re so good at some day?”

“We’ll see,” Waverly said with a wink before moving on to the next customer.

***

“We got ‘em, Waves, I know it,” Wynonna said over the phone.

Waverly could hear the sound of road noise and idling diesel engines in the background of Wynonna’s call and imagined her at a truck stop. In a single phone booth lit only from an overhead street light. It all felt very glamorous but Waverly knew the truth. Wynonna was on her cell phone and sitting outside of the car where Shapiro was probably napping.

“You on their tail then?” Waverly asked as she sat down on her boring bed in her boring town. At least things had been a little more interesting lately with Nicole around. She had been coming to the bar after work every day. She was nice to talk to and...really attractive. Waverly couldn’t deny that. 

Plus there was just something about Nicole that...comforted Waverly. That made her feel a little less lonely when she was around.

“Practically caught it,” Wynonna said. “This sicko’s gonna be caught in no time.”

“Well, as long as you’re being safe,” Waverly said. “I hope you get him soon.”

“Soon, baby girl. I can feel it. Soon.”

***

The Jeep stuttered, a sharp sound coming from under the hood that made Waverly pause. Her grips tightened on the wheel as the car shuddered.

“No no no no no,” she chanted under her breath, teeth clenched together. It was just a few more miles to the Homestead and she did _not_ want to break down before then. “Just a little longer, baby.”

As if on cue, black smoke spewed from the hood of the Jeep and it slowly rolled to a stop. Waverly groaned and let her head fall forward on the wheel. 

“Fuck.”

She pulled out her phone and called the tow shop. But knowing them and the amount of slush on the road...it was going to be at least an hour. Waverly sighed resignedly. She figured she’d be walking back to the Homestead.

Bundling herself up, she wrapped her scarf up to her nose and got out of the Jeep. Her boots crunched in the snow as she walked, hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket. Of course her car would crap out on her when she was _almost_ home. 

Behind her, she heard the crunching of car wheels in snow and turned around hoping to see the tow truck since she hadn’t walked too far. Instead it was a Purgatory Sheriff cruiser. It wasn’t until it rolled up beside her and the window was down that Waverly recognized Nicole. Waverly smiled widely and leaned into the window, resting on her elbows.

“Hey,” Nicole said. “Looks like you had a bit of trouble.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Just a bit.”

“Want me to tow it for you?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Waverly said, waving Nicole off. Even if she would love any excuse to be around Nicole just a little longer. “I don’t want to put you out. I already called Larry at the tow company.”

Nicole looked back at the Jeep a few yards behind them. “Well, I’m pretty sure Larry is also picking up Champ’s truck on the other side of town so you might be waiting for a while.”

Waverly frowned. “Champ’s truck?”

“Yeah, it’s been sitting on the street in front of Shorty’s for like...two days. No one can get ahold of Champ,” Nicole said with a concerned frown. “Actually...do you know where he might have gone?”

Waverly shrugged. “I don’t know. He probably got embarrassed for being called out and went on a bender somewhere. He’s done it before. Makes him feel like a man or whatever.”

Nicole hummed, frowning for a moment before shaking her head. “Anyways. I think Larry will be busy for at least a couple of hours with that.”

Waverly groaned, head dropping down between her shoulders. 

“So just let me do it,” Nicole said with the same bright smile that always pulled Waverly in. “I’ll take you where you need to go.” She blushed. “Um...your car. I’ll take your car where you need it to go.”

Waverly wrinkled up her nose. “Sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Nicole practically breathed as she unlocked the doors of the cruiser. “Come on in.”

Waverly got in the cruiser, letting the heater running inside the car seep through the layers of clothing and warm her skin. She rolled the window back up and Nicole reversed the cruiser until it was in front of the Jeep.

“I’ll be right back,” Nicole said with a smile, dimples deep as she pulled her beanie further over her ears and got out of the car. Waverly let her eyes wander to the rearview mirror and watched her disappear briefly when she opened the trunk. She continued to watch as she hooked the Jeep up to the back of the cruiser. Specifically when she squatted down to make sure everything was tied properly and tight. And Waverly could confirm that everything was _very_ tight.

The door opened again briefly as Nicole slid back into the car, quickly shutting the door behind her. Her nose and cheeks were tinted a cute red and she shivered briefly. 

“Alright. Let’s go. Where do you want me to take her?” Nicole said, rubbing her gloved hands together.

“Just back to the Homestead is fine,” Waverly said as she stared at the few snowflakes that had settled on Nicole’s long eyelashes. “I’ll have someone come out and look at it later.”

Nicole nodded and started down the road, a little slower with the Jeep attached to the back. They sat in silence for a few moments, the radio playing softly. The familiar notes of a song began to play and Waverly’s ears perked up.

_You know just what to say-_

Nicole grumbled and reached for the radio dial and Waverly acted on instinct when she reached for Nicole’s hand to stop her.

“Wait,” she said, her fingers closing over Nicole’s. They both gasped at the touch, staring at their hands before they both shyly looked at each other. Waverly wondered if the red on Nicole’s cheeks was still from the cold or from something else too. Waverly licked her lips nervously. “I-I just...like this song.”

“Okay,” Nicole whispered, slow smile curling on her lips. “Let’s leave it on then.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said as they slowly lowered their hands. She swore she felt Nicole’s fingers squeeze hers before letting go. Something about the song made Waverly’s heart flutter and stomach turn in a pleasant way. Waverly felt the overwhelming need to lean over and take Nicole’s hand again so she sat on her hands instead.

_Shit, that scares me, I should just walk away. But I can't move my feet-_

***

They pulled up to the Homestead and Nicole immediately got out of the cruiser to undo Waverly’s Jeep. 

“Thank you again,” Waverly said as she walked behind the car where Nicole was undoing the connection. “Need some help?”

“I got it,” Nicole said, looking over her shoulder with a smile. “You know...I could look at your Jeep for you too.” Nicole said as she stood back up. “I bet I can fix it for ya.”

Waverly smiled. “So you’re handy, huh?”

“You can say that,” Nicole said, voice low and flirty. It hit Waverly right between the thighs.

“Okay then…” Waverly said, not hiding how her eyes darted over Nicole’s body. “If you don’t mind, after all.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Nicole confirmed. “To protect and serve. Right?”

Waverly couldn’t help but smile even wider. They stared at each other for a moment before Waverly cleared her throat and looked down at her feet shyly. The last thing she wanted was for Nicole to leave right now. It must be the end of her shift...right? She bit her lip and looked up at Nicole again, asking quickly. “Do you want come in? For some tea or coffee or cocoa?” 

“Sure,” Nicole said, dimples deeper than Waverly had ever seen them. “I’d love to.”

***

“Caught him yet?” Waverly asked as she painted her nails. It was just a touch up really but she was sure Nicole would come into the bar tomorrow so...

There was silence on the other line for a moment before Wynonna sighed. “Well...we thought we were close.”

“What happened?” Waverly asked, concern furrowing her brow as the nail brush paused over her nail. 

“He’s changing up his MO,” Wynonna grumbled. “Which is fine...we’re still on the case it’s just...well we’re further away than we thought. But it’s fine.”

Waverly licked her lips. “So you found some more bodies then?”

“Yeah...two. They’re still all carved up like a sicko but...I don’t know. The look of the victims is changing.”

“They must have gotten bored,” Waverly said as she continued painting her nails.

“I don’t know, Waves,” Wynonna said, voice getting low. “These guys don’t change their MOs for no reason...I don’t know. I’m worried. Just...be careful, okay?”

“I will, Wynonna,” Waverly said with a smile. She kept it to herself that she thought she’d soon have someone else to help keep a watchful eye on things around town. Her mind wandered to Nicole and she sighed. “I promise.”

***

Nicole turned on the radio, dial set to the local oldies station as she drove out of town and towards the woods. She turned the heat on high and rolled down the windows of her cruiser despite the cold. There was something comforting about it. The cold, crisp air of the winter, fresh snow sharp in her nose. She took a deep breath and let the small smile play on her face.

She rested her elbow on the edge of the window, fingers tapping on the top upper part of the window to the beat of the song as she hummed.

_We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go-_

Her mind wandered to Waverly as she drove and her smile got wider. Sweet, beautiful Waverly. Just a ray of sunshine wherever she went. Nicole felt a small thrill go through her thinking about her. About how soft and warm her skin felt every time they touched. 

There was a little something else under the thrill though. A small clenching in her gut that felt like...guilt?

Nicole’s thumb subconsciously rubbed at her wedding finger, feeling for a band that wasn’t there. She rolled her shoulders and shook her head, trying to get the feeling to go away. The car started into the forest and the scent of pine and dirt mixed with the snow and she was distracted again.

She waited until the right moment before she turned off of the main road onto a barely driven path. Nicole drove for what felt like miles until the cruiser was moving over rocks and snapping at branches. There was a small clearing and Nicole sat idly in her car for a moment, just listening to the radio that was cackling in and out of tune mixed with the natural sounds of the forest. 

After a few moments, she felt her body relax and she turned off the car. Nicole climbed out of the car and walked around towards the trunk. She had her gym bag in there, extra shoes and clothes nestled inside. She rolled her neck and cracked her knuckles before unzipping the duffle. Carefully, she laid her clothes out next to it in the trunk. Tank top and workout pants. Simple. But they did the job.

She undid her boots and set them inside the duffle bag, then unbuttoned her uniform shirt and shrugged it off. She folded it neatly and took her pants off, folding them in the same way. She then slipped into her work out clothes and carefully closed the trunk. Slipping her phone into the band of her pants, she walked a little into the clearing and stopped at a seemingly nondescript place. 

But she bent down and found a lock under the fallen leaves and spun the code until it unlocked. She pulled up a heavy metal door, the smell of rot and dirt filled her nostrils. Breathing it in, she began to lower herself into the hole, carefully stepping on the wooden ladder that led down into the depths. 

Nicole carefully closed the door above her when she was far enough into the hole, plunging her into darkness. It wasn’t much of a bother though. She knew this bunker well enough by now. It was an abandoned bootlegging cellar and had been filled with barrels upon barrels that had at one point contained liquor but were now just lined with dust. 

When her feet hit the concrete floor, she reached above her head for the hanging light and clicked it on. It only took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but when she did she took in the small concrete room with broken down barrels lining the walls. Same as when she left it. 

There was a second door, heavy and metal, that led into another room just big enough for her work. Nicole rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms across her chest. On top of one of the barrels was a pair of neatly folded coveralls next to some speakers. She slipped them on, making sure that her clothes were completely covered before she put her phone on the speakers. Soft, soothing music played through the room. She pulled her hair back and put a beanie on her head to keep her hair out of her face.

When Nicole was satisfied, she pushed the door open and switched on a second overhead lamp.

A medical table stood in the middle of the room but Nicole ignored it for now. She walked over to a medical tray standing against the wall and plucked two latex gloves from a box. She slipped them on and put her goggles on, letting them rest on her forehead for now. Finally she turned to the table and smirked.

She walked over to the metal table and kicked the leg.

Champ sputtered, eyes opening and looking crazed like he was some sort of caged animal. He tried to scream but the rag in his mouth wouldn’t let him, a muffled garbling coming out instead. His hands were tied down by leather cuffs, legs restricted in the same way.

Nicole watched as he tried once again to shake himself from his bindings to no avail.

“Feeling a little trapped?” Nicole asked with a tilt of her head.

Champ breathed harshly through his nose, perfect white teeth clenching down on the dirty rag.

Nicole nodded like he had answered and continued. “Now you know how girls feel when you corner them in bars. Stuck. Trapped.”

Champ just panted, eyes darting to the door behind her. Nicole rolled another metal medical tray from the side of the room towards where Champ was tied up. His gaze darted back down to the tray and back up at Nicole, eyes wild. 

Nicole picked up a large, sharp knife from the tray and looked back at Champ. He started to whimper, tears rolling down his cheeks and leaving a path in the dirt that had caked itself on his face in the few days he’s been down here. Nicole leaned a little over him, the material of her coveralls rubbing together.

“Do you have fun cornering girls, Champ? Innocent girls like Waverly Earp?” Nicole asked, popping the ‘p’.

He just continued to cry, pathetic whimpers coming out of his throat and nose. Nicole had had enough of it.

“Well, at least now you won’t be bothering her anymore,” Nicole said as she straightened up and moved so that she was standing behind Champ’s head. “Shame I still have to kill her.” 

He strained his neck, searching for Nicole, making his tendons pops. Nicole eyed them, grip tightening on the knife. She could feel an itching like bugs crawling through her veins that needed to get out. She moved the goggles over her eyes.

Suddenly, with one swift movement, Nicole pulled the knife across Champ’s throat. The initial spray of blood was always the biggest. Depending on how scared the person was before, it could be practically a geyser. Champ’s blood sprayed over her face, a warm, coppery mist that she breathed in.

She watched as Champ flailed on the metal table. The sound was hollow and sharp, but slowly getting lower as his movements lost strength. His eyes, however...his eyes remained wide, staring up at the ceiling. Until he stopped moving and a light behind them seemed to go out, mouth slack around the rag.

The itching in Nicole’s veins stopped and she breathed easily for a moment. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins and she chuckled, setting the knife down on the metal tray and watching as his blood ran from his throat to the edges of the table that had a gutter in it just to catch the run off. It drained down to a small opening that went directly to a bucket just under the table. It was like watching a crimson river run off into a bigger ocean and Nicole found some comfort in it.

She picked up different knife. The one she used for carving and smiled as she looked down on his lifeless body. 

“Goodbye, Champ,” she said before leaning over the body again, knife descending on his flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz/status/1060556190260781059)


	11. now i don't hardly know her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Guess Nicole's a serial killer. Gotta see how she's gonna kill Waverly now.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Wynonna paced the floor in front of Waverly’s bed. She was honestly surprised that she hadn’t worn a hole in the linoleum yet. 

Jeremy had done all sorts of tests on Waverly to see if it was something other than normal medical reasons keeping Waverly in her coma. But so far they had come up with nothing. Nada. Goose egg.

Wynonna was a little bit more than frustrated.

“I just don’t even know what the fuck else to do,” she muttered to herself.

“We could-...there was something else that I found when cross referencing all of our calendars,” Jeremy piped up. Dolls stood against the wall, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Wynonna stopped to look at Jeremy. “What? Our social calendars or...?”

“No, all our calendars of significant planetary movements, star alignments, occult holy days...the usual,” he said as he pulled something up on his ipad. “There are a couple of interesting star movements coming up but this-” He pointed at a day two days away on the calendar. “-is what I’m most worried about.”

Dolls squinted. “Dark Moon? What’s that?”

“The one time a century that the hypothetical wall between heaven and earth is thinnest,” Jeremy explained. “Basically when angels can visit Earth and when...heaven is at its most vulnerable.”

Wynonna shook her head. “What does that mean? Aren’t we fine with Julian up there protecting that thin hymen the demons are trying to bust through?”

Jeremy flinched at her use of the term but continued. “Technically...yes,” he said with an unsure tilt of his head. “But...the demons just need a dark angel to get access to the garden.”

“Where do they get one of those? Dark Angels-R-Us?” Wynonna snorted at her own joke and nodded to Dolls for acknowledgement. He just blinked at her. Typical.

“There are none left,” Jeremy said. “But...they can create one and...anyone else know their sweet, local, bartender angel?”

All eyes turned to Waverly who looked peaceful in her hospital bed.

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Well how do they-...Waverly is good. They can’t turn her,” Wynonna said with a shake of her head. “There’s no way.”

Jeremy stared at Waverly, blinking rapidly as he thought. “I don’t know. There has to be a way they’re trying to turn her-”

“ _I don’t know_ isn’t good enough anymore,” Wynonna said, running a frustrated hand through her hair. “We can’t-...I can’t just keep standing around while Waverly is stuck-...wherever she is,” Wynonna said as she threw her hands into the air. She turned on her heels and began towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Dolls asked.

“To walk it off, coach!” Wynonna said without even turning around as she strode out of the hospital room. She couldn’t stand to be in the room with Waverly while she was actively failing her. It took her a moment to notice Nedley standing outside of Waverly’s room, looking through the window.

“Oh, hey, Nedley,” Wynonna said, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest. “Did that asshole nurse call the cops on me again?”

Nedley sighed. “No. And just to be clear, she totally had the right to call us on you when you were drunk in the on-call room.”

“I’m just saying, it’s not fair they get whole rooms to sleep in and I’m still slumming it on those uncomfortable vinyl chairs.”

“Well, anyways. I’m here to see a deputy,” Nedley said, looking back towards Waverly. “She was found outside the police station in the snow. Been in a coma since.”

Wynonna paused. “Coma? How long ago?”

“Coupla days after Waverly’s accident,” Nedley said, adjusting his belt. “Trust me, the whole thing seems iffy to me too. She was perfectly fine. Healthy. Top of her class at the Academy. Then she comes here and suddenly she’s complaining she can’t sleep. Passed out from exhaustion.”

“Huh,” Wynonna said, mind turning.

“Nurse even said that a couple days ago, she had what looked like a stab wound in her side that healed far too quickly,” Nedley said, voice low. “Something’s up, Wynonna.”

“Yeah, something is up,” Wynonna said, fingers tapping on her arms. “Take me to the rookie.”

Nedley just nodded and led the way.

***

Admittedly, it all felt a little...pornographic. 

Nicole was leaning into the hood of Waverly’s Jeep, bent over so that her ass was practically on display and Waverly was sitting on the porch steps just...watching with a cup of hot tea in her hands. 

The redhead had been over the past couple of days in an attempt to fix Waverly’s car. She claimed to be close, but Waverly was starting to wonder if she was purposefully stalling. Not that Waverly would complain. The more time she got to spend with Nicole, the better. 

It sounded dumb. At least in Waverly’s head it sounded dumb. But Waverly was falling for Nicole. And it was getting harder and harder not to make a move. Especially when she was pretty sure that Nicole was falling for her too. There were the little looks and comments and smiles that felt...secret. Like they were meant just for her. Waverly took these little moments and words and held them close, thinking far too long about them at night alone in her room. 

“Alright,” Nicole said straightening up and turning to look at Waverly. She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, smear of grease marring her pale skin. “I think I fixed it. Wanna start ‘er up?”

“Sure!” Waverly said, practically skipping down the steps of the Homestead and climbing into the Jeep. The keys were already hanging from the ignition so she just turned them and waited for the engine to turn over. It came to life, an even purr and Nicole gave her the thumbs up.

Waverly smiled back, returning the thumbs up before shutting the car off.

“You should be fine now,” Nicole said as she walked to the driver’s side of the car, taking a rag from her back pocket to wipe her hands. She leaned against the open driver’s side door and smiled. “I can fix anything else that pops up from time to time.”

Waverly blushed at the implication and smiled. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“It was no problem. Really,” Nicole said, ducking her head in that shy way that made Waverly want to kiss her all over her face.

Waverly bit her lip and took a plunge. “Is there...some way I can repay you?” she asked, playing with the end of her braid and batting her eyelashes as she turned in the seat to better face Nicole. She watched as a red blush creeped up Nicole’s neck to her crooked smile and silently hoped she hadn’t come across _too_ strong.

 _Does she think I’m propositioning her?_ Waverly thought quickly. _Oh, god, it sounded like I was propositioning her!_

Waverly silently cursed herself but before she could retract her statement, Nicole started talking.

“Well, I guess you can let me take you on a date,” Nicole said, rocking on the balls of her feet a little bit.

Waverly blinked for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. “I would love that.”

“Yeah?” Nicole asked with a tilt of her head, wrinkling her nose a little.

“Yeah,” Waverly confirmed. They just stared at each other with dumb smiles on their face for a moment before Waverly cleared her throat. “But first...wanna come inside and I can make you something to drink?”

“Sure,” Nicole said, scratching her nose absently. A smudge of grease went across the bridge of her nose and Waverly almost swooned with how cute it was.

Waverly giggled and motioned for the rag from Nicole. She handed it to her, confused until Waverly gently took Nicole’s hand and pulled her closer to her. Nicole’s thighs bumped into Waverly’s knees and she leaned towards her.

“You just have a little…” Waverly trailed off as she reached up and wiped the end of Nicole’s nose gently until the black smudge was gone. She tried to keep her focus on the rag over Nicole’s skin but she could feel Nicole’s eyes on her. Their faces were close. Waverly could swear she felt Nicole’s breath on her chin. Waverly smiled and lowered the rag when all the grease was gone, her eyes finally meeting Nicole’s. “There. All better.”

“Thanks, Waves,” Nicole breathed, reaching to take the rag from Waverly’s hand but letting her fingers linger over each others for a beat too long. “Can I have hot cocoa today instead? With marshmallows?”

Waverly smiled. “With marshmallows.”

***

Waverly wondered how she’d gotten so lucky. She lay there, watching Nicole as she slept. She brushed hair from Nicole’s face and kissed her high on her cheek. The other woman stirred, curling a little more into Waverly. She smiled and watched how the sunlight reflected off of Nicole’s long eyelashes and made them glow like copper.

Her heart skipped a beat at how Nicole’s breath played over her skin as she slept.

Waverly knew-

Yes, it sounded crazy.

-but she _knew_ she was in love with Nicole. With every fiber of her being.

And she just _knew_ Nicole loved her too. Waverly could see it in her eyes. She could see it in the way she looked at her and how her hands cradled Waverly so strongly. So protectively. Once in a while she would hold Waverly a little too tightly, like she was worried she would try to get away. But Waverly didn’t mind.

Sometimes Waverly was sure Nicole was on the verge of saying it. Of telling Waverly that she loved her. Nicole’s eyes would dart nervously over her face, licking her lips as she held Waverly in her arms. But then something dark came over her face and she just forced a smile. Waverly could always tell the smile was forced though. She saw the sadness in Nicole’s eyes and wished that she could just kiss it all away. Whatever it was that was bothering her. 

She figured...in time...in time Nicole would say it. When she was ready. Because Waverly was ready. She was so ready.

***

“I just don’t know if I can kill her anymore,” Nicole sighed as she carefully carved the muscle around Champ’s shoulder blade. She turned to the cooler that held his head and shrugged. “I think I’m starting to like her.”

The cooler, of course, didn’t answer, but Nicole continued anyways.

“She’s just so sweet and pretty,” Nicole said, her voice slightly muffled by the mask in front of her face. She turned back to where she was carefully separating Champ’s arm from the rest of his body. When she cut through the last bit of tissue, she smiled in triumph as the arm easily separated from his torso. Nicole wrapped his arm in a towel, turned and put it in a separate cooler packed with ice. She just wanted to preserve it long enough to throw off the police’s estimate of how long he had been dead. It was a fun game she played every time. Just another thing to throw them off her scent and make the case a little harder. “I almost slipped a few times. Almost spilled my sins to her.”

The echoing silence of the chamber echoed back at her. Nicole rolled her shoulders and walked over to her speakers, turning on some music to fill the silence. 

“But you’re right,” Nicole sighed, moving around the table to his other arm. “I have to do it anyways. It’s what I came here to do.”

Nicole took the freshly sharpened knife and cut into the flesh of his other shoulder.

“And you know I don’t like to leave any task unfinished.”

***

“Well, guess I have to resign from the FBI,” Wynonna said dramatically over the phone. Waverly raised an eyebrow and held back a small chuckle.

“You’re being dramatic.”

“Am I, Waves?” Wynonna groaned. “We were _so_ close-”

“You’re _still_ close,” Waverly insisted. “Just take a deep breath and reexamine the evidence.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Wynonna sighed. “Please, tell me about your life. It’s bound to be less depressing.”

Waverly bit her lip to prevent herself from gushing immediately about Nicole. Their first date felt like a dream. Nicole took her to a museum and a nice restaurant in the city. They held hands all through the traveling exhibit about King Tut and Waverly was sure she’d never been happier.

Nicole seemed to know a lot about the mummifying process, oddly enough, but she kept asking Waverly questions about ancient Egypt which made her exponentially happier. Finally her classes she took on the Egyptians and their history was being put to good use. And Nicole _listened_. She was so attentive and Waverly could tell she was hanging on every word that came out of her mouth.

Waverly had never had that with anyone else. All her exes were more interested in making out or whatever to ever listen to her. And Wynonna, as much as she loved her, had a short attention span for these sorts of things. She would start listening but Waverly could always see the point where she lost interest, eyes glazing over.

But Nicole was interested. Engaged. She asked question after question as Waverly talked. 

Not to mention how respectful she was. How sweet and caring...Sure Waverly had her bad share of exes, but she knew what she deserved in a partner. And slowly she was realizing that Nicole was that.

“Well,” Waverly said as she laid back on her bed. “I met someone.”

Wynonna gasped dramatically and her voice was louder like she was clutching the phone to her mouth. “Tell me all about them.”

“Her name is Nicole,” Waverly sighed. “Nedley recruited her from the city and she’s tall and super hot. She’s very nice to me-”

“Nice, huh?” Wynonna said suggestively.

Waverly blushed. “For your information, we haven’t done more than kiss-”

“Laaaaame,” Wynonna heckled.

“-but she’s very sweet and patient. She fixed my Jeep for me and has been fixing little things around the Homestead,” Waverly said. “I’m sure it’s just an excuse to be around all the time but I really don’t care.”

“Damn, Waves,” Wynonna said. “Sounds like a good one. Can’t wait to threaten her when I get back.”

“You will do no such thing!” Waverly said. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to threaten her,” Wynonna said. “Anyways. Sounds like you’re halfway in her pants already so I wouldn’t worry about the whole not sleeping together yet thing.”

There was a soft knock on the door when Waverly opened her mouth to protest and she sat back up in the bed. 

“‘Nonna, I gotta go, Nicole is here,” Waverly said going to her mirror and checking her makeup quickly. “She’s going to fix the leaky sink.”

Wynonna snorted. “I _bet_ she’s gonna fix your leaky sin-”

“Wynonna. Don’t even finish that sentence,” Waverly warned. “Be safe. I love you. Bye!”

“Bye-!”

Waverly hung up the phone as the second knock came and rushed down the stairs. She smoothed out her shirt before opening the door with a wide smile. Waverly was almost immediately knocked breathless with Nicole in simple jeans and a tank top under a heavy coat with her tool box in hand.

“Hi,” Waverly said.

“Hey,” Nicole said, leaning down and giving Waverly a chaste kiss.

At least, it was supposed to be chaste, but Waverly gripped Nicole’s jacket and pulled her into the house, their lips still connected. Nicole kicked the door closed with her foot, the hand that wasn’t holding her tool box slipping around Waverly’s waist to pull her close. Waverly slid her tongue into Nicole’s mouth and was met with a moan that hit her deep in the stomach.

“Babe,” Nicole whispered against her lips before they kissed again. 

Waverly hummed and tightened her grip around Nicole’s neck. 

“Babe,” Nicole tried again. Waverly sighed and finally pulled away.

“Yes?” Waverly said, pressing her hips into Nicole’s. 

“The sink,” Nicole whispered, holding up the toolbox. “Remember?”

“There are other things we could be doing instead, don’t you think?” Waverly said with an innocent tilt of her head. 

Nicole’s grip tightened on her and she groaned, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Waverly’s throat. Waverly tipped her neck back just as Nicole pulled away.

“Sink first,” Nicole said with a wink. Waverly gave Nicole a look as she walked over to the sink, setting her tool box down, shrugging off her coat and opening up the cupboard so she could reach under the sink. Waverly watched as Nicole settled on her back under the sink, toolbox open next to her as she took a look. “This shouldn’t take long.”

“Good,” Waverly said walking over to Nicole. She kicked her shoe lightly before sitting between her bent legs cross legged. Nicole lifted her head just enough to see what Waverly was doing and chuckled.

“Can you hand me the wrench please?”

Waverly did as she was asked, eyes following the toned lines of Nicole’s arms all the way down to the flat pane of her stomach. Waverly rested her arm on Nicole’s bent knee, fingers absently tracing a pattern over her jeans.

Nicole handed Waverly back the wrench but left her hand out. “Screwdriver, please.”

Waverly eyed the white scars on Nicole’s hand as she asked, “Philips or flathead.”

“Philips please.”

Waverly handed over the screwdriver and Nicole made a triumphant sound.

“And...done,” Nicole said as she sat up. When she sat up, her face was close to Waverly’s and they both blushed. Nicole gave her a crooked smile and took Waverly’s hand that was on her knee in her own. “See. Took no time at all.”

Waverly smiled and looked at their hands. Her thumb brushed over the side of Nicole’s, bumping over the biggest scar on the side of her thumb. 

“What are these from?” Waverly asked.

Nicole made to move her hand away but squeezed Waverly’s hand instead. “Um...when I was younger I fell into a rosebush,” Nicole said softly. She pointed to a scar on her left cheek under her eye. “That was from when I fell too.”

“That’s horrible,” Waverly said, taking Nicole’s hand in her lap. She cupped Nicole’s cheek and ran her thumb over the scar. 

“It wasn’t that bad. I don’t remember most of it to be honest,” Nicole said, looking at her hand in Waverly’s lap. She frowned a little. “Mostly I just remember...the blood. There was...so much blood.” Nicole got a distant look in her eye and Waverly squeezed her hand. The redhead shook her head and looked back up at Waverly. “But it was a long time ago.”

“You okay?” Waverly asked with a small frown.

Nicole leaned forward and kissed Waverly softly. “I am now,” she whispered.

Waverly leaned into the kiss, her hands smoothing up Nicole’s arms until they cupped either side of her neck. Nicole’s arms circled her waist and brought Waverly impossibly close as they kissed. Waverly pulled Nicole’s bottom lip between her teeth and their kisses got more heated. Waverly’s entire body felt like it was on fire, her skin burning at Nicole’s touch as she slipped her hand under the back of Waverly’s shirt. She arched into her touch and suddenly needed as much of Nicole as she could get.

“Baby,” Waverly whispered between kisses. “Nicole?”

“Yeah?” Nicole replied as she kissed across Waverly’s jaw and behind her ear.

“I...can we-...bedroom?” Waverly asked, pupils blown.

Nicole pulled away, eyes searching Waverly’s face. Her hands flexed on her back and she nodded slowly. “Yeah. Bedroom.”

Waverly was up in a shot, pulling Nicole up with her and leading her upstairs to her room without another thought. Once the door was pulled behind them, Waverly turned and saw Nicole standing there with an almost dumbstruck look on her face. Waverly smiled, pulling Nicole closer and tangling her hands in short red hair.

“Waverly,” Nicole said, hands back in the back of her shirt and hugging her close. “I-...I should-”

Nicole visibly swallowed and Waverly ran a finger down her strong jaw. Nicole turned her head and kissed the tip, Waverly’s eyes on her lips the entire time. 

“You should what?” Waverly asked with an encouraging smile.

Nicole looked at her, their eyes connecting. Waverly felt like the entire universe dissolved around them and it was only the two of them. Together. Like nothing else mattered in that moment. Not whatever Nicole was about to say or whoever they were. Whoever they were or were pretending to be.

“Nothing,” Nicole said, with a small smile. “Nothing. I just-...you’re beautiful.”

Waverly blushed and started walking Nicole back towards the bed. “I really really like you,” Waverly whispered as she moved her hands up the front of Nicole’s shirt. She squeezed her breasts briefly and Nicole groaned as Waverly pushed her back onto the bed. Nicole bounced on the mattress, a sly smile crawling over her features as Waverly stood between her knees. 

“I really really like you too,” Nicole whispered, as Waverly took the hem of her own shirt and pulled it over her head. Nicole’s eyes were wide, hands on Waverly’s hips as she brought her closer. Waverly reached for Nicole’s shirt and tugged at it before Nicole helped her pull it over her head and deposit it on the floor. 

Waverly took in the newly discovered expanse of pale skin, her eyes falling on a few more scars that were visible on her torso. They must have been from the rose bush too. Waverly’s hands smoothed over Nicole’s shoulders and down the front of her chest. She lifted her leg and set her knee on one side of Nicole’s thighs, the other setting on the opposite side of Nicole’s thighs until she was straddling her. Nicole’s hands squeezed Waverly’s hips and moved to cup Waverly’s ass, her mouth kissing along the edge of her bra.

Her body reacted to Nicole with a familiarity that seemed to come out of nowhere. Excitement and anticipation thrummed through her veins, settling low in her stomach and making her want to be as close to Nicole as possible. Waverly carded her fingers through Nicole’s hair and the other woman’s hands moved up her spine to undo her bra.

Waverly just wanted to chuck her bra off, but Nicole’s hands halted her, slowly pulling the straps down her arms as she mouthed over the swells of her breasts. Waverly arched her chest towards Nicole’s mouth, her nipples tightening in the chilled air of the bedroom. She sighed when Nicole’s mouth closed around her nipple, warm tongue flicking over the tip.

“God,” Waverly slipped, fingers tightening in Nicole’s hair as she guided her mouth to her other breast. Waverly slipped her hands behind Nicole’s back and fumbled with the clasp of her bra. Nicole chuckled and if her mouth wasn’t occupied with Waverly’s breast she might have reprimanded her for making fun of Waverly’s overly eager fingers.

Instead, she laid her palm flat on Nicole’s chest and pushed her down onto the mattress so that Waverly was hovering over her. Nicole’s hands smoothed up Waverly’s sides as she leaned down and captured the taller woman’s lips. The feeling of their breasts pressed together made Waverly sigh as her hips pressed down into Nicole. 

Waverly’s hands found the buckle of Nicole’s belt and tugged at the leather. The warm sound of leather and metal buckles was the only sound in the room besides their breathing and Waverly was sure if she didn’t have Nicole soon she would combust. It was like her fingers had a mind of their own as she pulled at the button of Nicole’s pants, pulling down the zipper. Her fingers hooked in the waistband and she was tugging at it when Nicole’s hands covered her own. 

“Wait, Waves,” Nicole panted. She swallowed thickly and Waverly blushed as their eyes met. Maybe she had misread the signals. “I just want to make sure-...are you sure?”

The worry left Waverly’s body and she nodded slowly. She entwined her fingers with Nicole’s and kissed the back of her hand. 

“I’m very sure,” Waverly whispered, holding Nicole’s hand between her breasts. “Are you sure?” Nicole nodded and licked her lips, eyes still on Waverly’s. She smiled slyly and ducked her head down, biting on the tip of Nicole’s index finger suggestively. “Then can I show you how sure I am?”

“Yes,” Nicole said, barely above a whisper as her eyes darted down to Waverly’s lips. She sucked briefly on the end of Nicole’s finger before taking her hand and guiding it to cup her breast. Waverly pushed her chest into Nicole’s hand with a groan. Her hips jumped when Nicole pulled her nipple between her fingers and she slowly guided Nicole’s hand lower. Over her abs and to the waistband of her pants. She helped Nicole open the button and zipper before taking her wrist and guiding her hand into her pants. She watched Nicole’s face as her hand slipped beneath the waistband, cupping Waverly’s heat over her underwear.

Waverly bit her lip, trying to keep her hips from grinding obscenely into Nicole’s hand. She knew that Nicole could feel how wet she was and she should probably be embarrassed, but she didn’t care right now.

All she wanted - no, _needed_ \- was for Nicole to touch her.

Nicole squeezed and Waverly fell forward, catching herself on her elbows so she was hovering above her.

“Nicky,” Waverly purred, not caring how desperate she sounded, “ _please_.”

It was like something switched in Nicole. Waverly gasped when Nicole flipped her over, her back hitting the bed. Nicole tugged her pants off in one swift movement and Waverly wrapped her legs around her waist, drawing their hips together.

Nicole’s lips were on Waverly’s pulsepoint, nibbling and sucking the skin. Waverly arched into her as the pain dissolved into pleasure. Her hands reached for any part of Nicole she could reach, eventually finding her pants and trying to push them down her legs. Miraculously, they ended up on the floor somehow and Nicole lifted Waverly’s leg, hooking it around her hip. She could feel Nicole’s hands, strong and deliberate, running across the length of skin on her legs. She started at her knees and carefully ran over her thighs and the swell of her hips. 

“Your skin is so soft,” Nicole whispered as she kissed up Waverly’s throat.

Waverly whimpered when Nicole pulled her hips into her own, leg hooking tighter around her waist. Nicole’s hip bone was pressing perfectly against Waverly’s clit, the pressure between her thighs getting worse. Waverly needed relief. And soon. She could feel the cotton of her underwear sticking to her uncomfortably because of the wetness there. 

Before Waverly had to beg, she felt Nicole’s hand smoothing across her stomach and underneath her underwear. Waverly’s stomach clenched in anticipation as she felt Nicole’s fingers rake through coarse curls, her mind fogged over by need. When Nicole’s fingers started to slip through wetness, Waverly was sure her entire mind went blank. 

She took Nicole’s face in her hands and kissed her, their tongues slipping over each other as Nicole’s fingers dipped ever so briefly into her entrance. Waverly moaned, hips lifting and searching for Nicole’s fingers that had moved back up to her clit. She kept kissing Nicole, afraid to lose that connection in case she might float away. Her mind felt like it was in the stars, pleasure coursing through her just from the simplest touch from Nicole. 

Nicole’s fingers slowly circled her clit and Waverly sucked briefly on her tongue, nipping at her bottom lip before her head fell back in pleasure.

“More,” Waverly pleaded, arms looping around Nicole’s back. “Please.”

Thankfully, Nicole didn’t need to be told twice. She rubbed one more tight circle around Waverly’s clit before her fingers moved back to her entrance. Waverly panted against Nicole’s mouth as two fingers slipped easily into her.

“Fuck,” Nicole whispered, kissing Waverly hard on the mouth as she adjusted around her fingers. Waverly felt pleasure, curling like smoke up her spine. She felt her heartbeat everywhere in her body as Nicole began rocking above her, using her hips to press herself into Waverly. 

 

Nicole curled her fingers on one particularly hard thrust and Waverly clawed at her back, warmth soaking through her entire body as she got close to the edge. 

“Waves,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly opened her eyes and was immediately met with Nicole’s. She managed a smile before her jaw came unhinged in another moan. “Yes, Nicky,” she said, nails digging into her back again. “ _Yes_ , don’t stop.”

“Never, baby,” Nicole said before kissing her again. 

Waverly’s body shuddered with orgasm as she felt one more hard thrust from Nicole and the press of her palm against her swollen clit.

The rest of the world faded around them and all she could feel, smell, taste, hear...was Nicole. How could everything about Nicole feel so familiar? How could every little kiss and move and thrust feel like Waverly had felt her touch before? When she closed her eyes tightly, she swore she could feel the heat of a fireplace and see Nicole above her again. In a different time. Like a dream she was just now starting to remember. 

Waverly was sure they were floating as pleasure rippled through her body, her walls squeezing Nicole’s fingers desperately as she rode them to orgasm. Waverly could swear she died right there in her arms, if only for a moment.

As her orgasm faded, she felt Nicole’s lips placing soft kisses along her cheek and jaw, fingers slowly helping her ride out her orgasm.

“Wow,” Waverly said simply, blushing a little at the mooniness of the whole thing.

Nicole smiled and kissed her lightly. “Wow,” she repeated.

Waverly smoothed her hands over the marks that were sure to be over Nicole’s back from the way she had gripped her. They kissed slowly as Nicole slipped out of her, body settling warmly over her.

“Give me a second,” Waverly said as Nicole began to softly kiss her neck. A permanent smile curled on her lips. “Then I’m going to rock your world.”

Nicole chuckled and lifted herself on her elbows to look at Waverly. “What makes you think I’m done with you yet?”

Waverly felt her body alight with arousal again. She hummed and Nicole started to kiss down her chest, fingers hooking into her underwear as she slowly slid them off of Waverly. She giggled when Nicole playfully bit above Waverly’s breast and ran her fingers through red locks as she wondered how she’d gotten so lucky.

***

Nicole looked up at the ceiling, Waverly curled into her side. The blankets were a forgotten tangle around their legs, naked bodies using each other for warmth. Nicole ran her fingers up and down Waverly’s arm, relishing the goosebumps she felt along her skin. She loved feeling how they raised under her touch.

It was a natural reaction. Hair follicles retracting at a delicate touch. But something about it felt like...magic.

Magic that could be cut off as soon as the blood stopped flowing through a person’s veins.

“Nicole,” Waverly whispered, her breath tickling Nicole’s collarbone. “What are you thinking about?”

Nicole looked down where Waverly was taking her hand in her own, the entwined hands resting on her stomach. Waverly’s fingers brushed over the scars on her hand. 

It was a loaded question. What was she thinking about? She was thinking about how Champ Hardy was scattered far and wide in the woods outside of Purgatory. About how Waverly was due to be taken down into Nicole’s workspace within the week. She had cleaned and sharpened her knives in preparation for sliding a blade across the delicate skin of Waverly’s throat. The skin she had no problem marking earlier.

She was thinking about the scars on her hands and how she’d lied to Waverly about them.

It wasn’t a complete lie. She had fallen in a rose bush.

Rather, she was pushed into a rosebush by her father. The blood along her arms and hands fascinated her at the time. Fascinated her so much that she didn’t even cry. She only cried when her father yanked her out of the bush and called her a freak for not crying. Asking if she was from the devil. That was the last time her father made her cry.

But most of the scars, the deep ones, were from when Nicole had been honing her craft. Sharp knives were harder to handle than she’d anticipated. Especially when she didn’t know the human body as well as she did now.

Before she had perfected it all, Nicole had her own mishaps. She had struggled with her subjects more than once and they left gashes in her arms and hands. It was frustrating to go through and clean her skin out from under their nails but it had to be done.

When she was carving her subjects, sometimes the knife would slip and she would cut herself. It happened often at the beginning, but these days she went by without incident. Each scar was a reminder of a past mistake she had made. Something she wouldn’t do again.

Nicole turned in Waverly’s arms so that they were facing each other and pressed a soft kiss against Waverly’s pulsepoint. She could feel her blood racing under her lips and felt the itching under her skin start. But she scraped her teeth a little too hard against Waverly’s neck and the itching subsided. For now. 

There was a sudden...sadness when Nicole thought about dragging the knife across Waverly’s throat. About how the life would slowly drain from her eyes until there was nothing left. Just the vessel of a woman Waverly used to be. 

Nicole had tried to deny it before, but she was thinking about something she had never felt before. Not before now. Not before Waverly.

Love.

She loved Waverly.

And if she loved Waverly, maybe she could feel without killing. Maybe she could stop. She didn’t want to kill Waverly. She wanted to wrap her in her arms and protect her. To keep her forever to laugh and cry and just _be_ together. Just the thought made her throat ache with unshed tears.

But her plan...her perfectly laid out plan to draw Wynonna away. To create the perfect moment of revenge.

But...

She didn’t want to kill Waverly.

And maybe she didn’t have to.

“Just you,” Nicole finally answered. “Just thinking about you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz/status/1063090229253263361)


	12. but i think that i love her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. Guess something big is gonna happen with Nicole being a serial killer and all. Does she kill Waverly? Does she kill...someone else? Who knows. Have fun!
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

Waverly hummed as the warm water of the shower soothed her pleasantly sore muscles. She smiled when her fingers passed over the bruise under her collar bone left from Nicole’s mouth. They had basically spent the last two days in bed before Nicole had to go to work. It had been magical.

It felt like they were rediscovering each other...not learning each other. Either way it was amazing. 

Nicole was so attentive and good with her hands.

The sound of her phone ringing brought Waverly out of her daydream. She opened the shower door a little, blinking some water out of her eyes to look at her phone on the sink. Wynonna’s name blinked back at her along with a picture of the two of them from the night they ate too many cookies and just complained all night. The picture was only taken about two cookies in so they didn’t look miserable yet.

The phone stopped ringing and Waverly ducked back into the shower, figuring she’d call Wynonna back when she got out. 

Waverly was washing the conditioner from her hair when the phone rang again. Waverly groaned and waited for the ringing to stop. But at soon as it stopped, it started again. With a frustrated sigh, Waverly switched off the water and wiped her hand off on the hanging towel before clicking her phone onto speaker.

“Wynonna,” Waverly began sternly as she grabbed her towel. “I swear to god. If this is about finding the perfect piece of fudge again-”

“Baby girl. Waves. I swear this is important,” Wynonna said a little frantically. “What are you doing?”

Waverly frowned as she squeezed her hair out with the towel and stepped out of the shower. “I’m getting out of the shower...why?”

“Waverly, that’s literally the number one reason girls die in horror films,” Wynonna chastised. “I need you to put some clothes on ASAP.”

“You’re starting to kinda freak me out,” Waverly said as she wrapped the towel around her. “Can you just tell me what’s wrong?”

Wynonna sighed. “The killer is in Purgatory.”

Waverly’s heart jumped into her throat and she shook her head in confusion. “I-...what?”

“We found their last victim and-...Waverly they…” she actually heard Wynonna swallow over the phone. “Their last victim looked just like you. And they left a card for Shorty’s in their hand.”

Waverly stood in shock for a moment as her mind started to put the pieces together.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” 

“They-...I’m next,” Waverly breathed.

“Yeah. So get the shotgun and lock up. Okay, Waves?” Wynonna said. “I gotta go.”

“Wait, Wynonna!”

“Don’t let _anyone_ in the house. I’ll call you back,” Wynonna said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Waverly said with a shake of her head. “But-”

Wynonna hung up the phone and Waverly just stood there for a moment. Someone was after...her. Without even moving from her spot, she called Nicole.

“Hello?” Nicole said. Just the sound of her voice made Waverly feel a little better.

“Nicole, can you come over?” Waverly said into the phone, voice a little frantic. “I just-...I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course, baby,” Nicole said softly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Waverly said going into her room and pulling out clothes. “I’ll tell you everything when you get here.”

Nicole paused for a moment before speaking again. “Okay. I just have to tell Nedley and then I’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said, gripping the phone with both hands. “Thank you.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

***

Nicole stood in the middle of her living room, still in her uniform. She looked around at the immaculate space. Everything in its place and everything looking proper. Except for the manila envelope sitting on her coffee table.

Nicole looked around one last time and nodded. 

Everything was in its place. Everything was as it should be.

The plan was in motion. And there was no going back now.

***

Waverly sat in the living room on a chair facing the driveway, her shotgun in her lap. It was the only way on or off the property without trudging through miles of snow. If anyone was going to be coming up, it would be up the driveway and Waverly would see them from at least a mile away.

That’s how she knew Nicole was near. She saw her cruiser turn onto the road that lead to the Homestead and she breathed a little easier. Nicole was almost here and then it would feel twice as safe. Waverly with her her shotgun and Nicole just...being here. Comforting her. Plus she could also say she was getting the local police involved.

Leave it to Wynonna to tell Waverly a serial killer was after her and hang up on her.

Nicole turned off the car when she arrived at the front of the house. Waverly got up to open the door just as Nicole reached up to knock, causing her to stumble back a little bit when Waverly threw her arms around her waist.

“Woah, careful with that thing, Waves,” Nicole chuckled, pushing away the shotgun that was still clutched tightly in Waverly’s hand. Her arms encircled Waverly after a moment and she buried her face into the crown of her head. “You okay?”

“I am now,” Waverly sighed. She squeezed Nicole one last time before letting her go and tugging her into the house. Waverly closed the door behind them and put the chain lock on it.

“Now will you tell me what’s wrong, Waves?” Nicole asked softly. 

Waverly set the shotgun down on the coffee table and pulled Nicole into another hug. She let out a shuddering sigh, letting her stress leave her body. Nicole’s arms around her felt like...home.

“Well...did I tell you about Wynonna? And her profession?” Waverly asked, knowing full well she hadn’t divulged that information to Nicole at any point.

“No,” Nicole said simply. 

Waverly sighed. “My sister works for the FBI...and she’s been on the tail of this serial killer for a while. And...well I honestly don’t know much, but she told me that she thought...I was his next victim.”

She felt Nicole tense in her arms and squeezed her even tighter.

“But no, it’s okay,” Waverly assured her. “I’m extra safe now. Here. With you.”

“I-...yeah,” Nicole said, kissing the side of Waverly’s head. “I’ll protect you.”

“I know you will,” Waverly whispered with complete confidence.

***

That night, Nicole undressed Waverly slowly. She kissed every inch of Waverly’s skin as if she were committing her to memory. She took time they hadn’t taken before to get to know every bit of Waverly that she could. 

If Waverly hadn’t known any better, she might say it felt like an...apology. Or a goodbye. But Waverly did know better. And she knew that Nicole had no reason to say any of those things. Physically or otherwise.

Nicole held Waverly all through the night. Tight like she would float away if she let go. 

When Waverly woke up in the morning, Nicole was already awake. She had her elbow on the bed, head propped up in her hand as she gazed down at Waverly. She smiled softly and leaned down to kiss Waverly gently.

“Mm, morning breath,” Waverly mumbled as she turned her head to the side. Nicole chuckled and kissed along the side of her jaw.

“I don’t care,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly giggled when Nicole’s lips ghosted over a sensitive part of her neck. Nicole squeezed her a little tighter and teasingly blew on the spot to make Waverly giggle even harder.

“Stop, stop!” Waverly said, turning her head to kiss Nicole. “I surrender!”

Nicole smiled as she kissed Waverly softly. Slow and simple. They pulled away, foreheads still touching. Nicole’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily. Waverly felt her heart flutter at the sight.

“Mornin’,” Nicole drawled, sleepily.

“Morning,” Waverly said. “I like waking up with you. Here.”

Nicole’s smile faltered for a moment, but came back twice as big. “Yeah. Me too.” Nicole placed one last kiss on the end of Waverly’s nose. “I’m going to make coffee. Okay?”

Waverly nodded, wishing they could stay in bed just a little longer. But she was sure without even looking at the clock that they had slept in far too long. Nicole slipped out of bed and started putting back on her uniform from the night before.

“Baby, why don’t you borrow some of my sweats?” Waverly asked.

Nicole paused in the middle of buttoning up her uniform shirt. She frowned for a moment and shrugged. “I don’t know I just-...I’m fine.”

Waverly stretched lazily. She got dressed in her pajamas and slowly made her way downstairs. Nicole was standing in front of the kitchen counter, palms pressed hard down on the tile as she stared blankly at the working coffee maker. Waverly watched her for a minute before walking up behind her and wrapping her arms around Nicole from behind. 

Nicole didn’t seem surprised, she just set her hands over Waverly’s and squeezed. Waverly kissed between Nicole’s shoulder blades before the taller woman turned around. 

“Hey you,” Nicole said softly.

“Hey,” Waverly said, looking up at Nicole.

Nicole sighed and pressed her forehead to Waverly’s, eyes closing tight. “Waves...I...want to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before.”

Waverly’s stomach turned in anticipation, hoping it wasn’t something...horrible. When Nicole’s eyes fluttered back open, Nicole searched Waverly’s face.

“Waverly, I will protect you. Always. Okay?” Nicole said firmly. “I’ll do anything to make sure you’re safe because-...because I love you.”

Waverly’s heart fluttered and a smile broke across her face as she held Nicole tighter. “Nicole, I lo-...I lo-...I love-”

“Wait,” Nicole interrupted, licking her lips nervously. “No, don’t say anything yet. I have...something else to tell you.”

Something in the tone of Nicole’s voice made Waverly pause. She shook her head and gripped the back of Nicole’s shirt in her fists, wrinkling the material. But she didn’t say anything, just waited with bated breath as Nicole continued.

“I...wasn’t a cop in the city,” Nicole began. “I hacked into their systems and created a fake profile before applying here. I basically built the perfect deputy that Nedley would want to hire and sent in my resume.”

Waverly frowned in confusion. “O...kay...but why.”

Nicole sighed and squeezed Waverly one last time before taking a step back from her. “I’m not...who you think I am,” Nicole said, voice shaking a little. “I made the fake profile and came here to Purgatory to-...to hurt you.”

Waverly chuckled dryly, stomach filling with dread. “Nicole...I just-...this isn’t funny.”

“I’m the one Wynonna’s been looking for,” Nicole confessed, voice breaking. “I...am the killer.”

Waverly’s stomach completely dropped and she took another step back from Nicole, shaking her head in disbelief. “No.”

“Yes, Waverly,” Nicole said, arms useless at her sides and regret apparent on her face. “I lied to you. I was going to-...I came here to kill you. To get revenge on Wynonna for hunting me down like some kind of… _animal_ and-...Well, I got to know you, Waverly. And I couldn’t hurt you after I realized I...loved you.”

It felt like Waverly’s entire body had been dunked in ice cold water. She had never felt so many emotions at once. Confusion and anger and regret and...complete and utter disbelief. It was like the information that Nicole was giving her just wouldn’t comprehend in her mind.

There was a low drone sound in the distance but Waverly only barely registered it. 

“Nicole…” Waverly started slowly. “I don’t-...why are you lying to me?”

“I’m not lying,” Nicole said. “I’m a bad person, Waverly. And I did what I had to do...to protect you.”

Waverly laughed nervously. “Funny joke, Nicole. Come on.”

The drone sound got louder and Waverly realized what it was. Helicopters.

“Nicole, what did you do?” Waverly said, hoping the tremor in her voice wasn’t too evident. She could feel the prickle of hot tears in the corners of her eyes and she reached for Nicole’s wrist and linked their hands together. “Tell me this is a stupid joke.”

“I’m so sorry, Waverly,” Nicole said, tears evident in her eyes. “I’m so so sorry.”

Waverly knew it was a lie. It had to be. A crazy, fudged up, stupid lie. But a lie. Nicole was _good_. She was kind and smart and Waverly _loved_ her. Even if she had a hard time saying it. Waverly had felt a connection with her from the moment she met her. A connection that was deeper than anything she’d ever felt. Something that was impossible with a killer. A murderer.

“I don’t believe you,” Waverly said, tears gathering in her throat. “There’s no way you could do this. You could never-”

“Waverly. I can and I did,” Nicole insisted, taking Waverly’s face in her hands. “I _can_ and I _did_. I hurt so many people-”

 _”Nicole Haught. Come out with your hands up,_ came a loud voice from outside the Homestead.

“I have to go,” Nicole said, letting their foreheads drop together again. “I have to go-”

“No,” Waverly said, shaking her head as she gripped the front of Nicole’s shirt. “I won’t let you.”

“I turned myself in,” Nicole whispered. “I called them and left a drive with all the evidence they need in my house. I have to go.”

“No!” Waverly said, choking over her own tears. “You’re not-! You can’t-!”

Nicole was crying now too and she kissed Waverly hard. Waverly gripped her tighter, not wanting to let go. To face the gravity of the situation.

 _”Nicole Haught, you are surrounded,”_ came the voice again. _”Come out with your hands up or we’ll be forced to shoot. Leave the hostage inside or we’ll be forced to shoot.”_

“Hostage?” Waverly frowned. “I’m not-...”

Nicole shushed her and kissed her one last time. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

“We can fix this.”

“It’s too late, Waves. We can’t. I’m sorry.”

Waverly kept gripping the front of Nicole’s shirt as she tried to step away, not willing to let go as she shook her head. She refused to believe it. There had to be some kind of mix up...some kind of mistake. Not Nicole. Not her Nicole. She wasn’t a killer. She couldn’t be. Nicole couldn’t be this...monster.

“I have to go,” Nicole whispered again, desperately as she backed up towards the door of the Homestead. “Please, Waverly.”

Nicole took both of Waverly’s wrists in her hands and pulled her from her shirt. Waverly looked up into Nicole’s eyes, searching for a sign that this was all a horrible dream. A bad joke. Anything other than the truth. Nicole leaned down again and kissed Waverly soundly on the mouth. She pulled away and forced a small smile.

“Just know, that I have never loved anyone the way that I love you,” Nicole managed, voice filled with tears. “And I’m so sorry that I can’t be who you need me to be.”

With that, Nicole turned around and opened the front door. Waverly was blinded for a moment and she stood in shock. The sound outside was so loud it was almost unbearable. As she blinked, her eyes adjusted and she saw armed officers surrounding the Homestead. All in swat gear, guns trained on Nicole. There were several large, black SUV’s and she heard the voice again that she now realized was Wynonna.

“Haught!” she said over a speaker. “Put your hands on your head!”

Waverly watched as Nicole put both of her hands behind her head and slowly walked out of the house and to the grass in front of the Homestead. It was like something clicked in Waverly and she rushed out after Nicole. No amount of guns pointed in her directions was going to stop her. She couldn’t just watch Nicole march out there like that.

“Nicole!” Waverly yelled as she ran out of the house. Nicole turned just as Waverly threw her arms around her waist and buried her face in her chest. Waverly whispered, “No. Please don’t. Don’t leave me.”

She could hear yelling around her. There was a spotlight on them and the sound of the helicopter was deafening, but Waverly swore that all she could hear was the beating of Nicole’s heart in her ear. 

“Waverly!” Wynonna yelled over the megaphone. “Back away!”

“No!” Waverly whispered pathetically. “I won’t.”

“Waves, please,” Nicole whispered. Waverly felt a hot tear fall on her face that she knew wasn’t her own. “I need you to be safe.”

“I won’t let you do this,” Waverly insisted.

“We don’t have a choice, Waverly,” Nicole pleaded. “It has to end this way. It was always going to end this way.”

There was more frantic yelling around them and Waverly felt herself being pulled away from Nicole. Waverly fought against the arms around her waist, tears blurring her eyes as she reached for the other woman. She saw Shapiro behind Nicole, forcing her to her knees with her hands over her head.

“No!” Waverly yelled as the armed swat officers got closer to her. She turned in her arms to push away whoever was holding her and saw Wynonna’s confused face looking down on her. “Let me go. She didn’t do it! She didn’t-”

“Waves,” Wynonna said, gripping her arms tightly. “I need you to get it together. You almost got _shot_ running out of the house like that. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Ow!” Waverly said trying to pull from Wynonna’s grip. “Let Nicole go. You have the wrong person!”

Waverly turned again and Wynonna kept a firm grip on her. Nicole’s face was pressed to the ground, Shapiro pressing her to the ground with her knee as she put the handcuffs on her and guns still trained on her. Waverly felt a fresh wave of tears as she struggled again.

“Please,” Waverly said shakily. “Wynonna.”

Waverly’s struggling got weaker as she watched them pull Nicole up from the ground roughly. Wynonna turned Waverly back around to face her, blue eyes searching her face.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” Wynonna asked, almost to herself.

“I love her, Wynonna,” Waverly sniffled. “Please. She didn’t do this.”

“Oh, baby girl,” Wynonna said with a sympathetic shake of her head. She wrapped her arms around her sister in a comforting embrace, and Waverly let herself break down and cry.

***

Waverly stood with her arms spread, letting herself be pat down. A routine that she was used to now. After years of visiting this place, how could she not be? She let out a sigh when the security guard took a step back and smiled, picking up her purse from the x-ray machine.

“Thank you,” she smiled and pointed to the container of cookies she had given the guard. “I put extra chocolate chips in them like you like.”

The guard smiled widely. “Thank you, Miss Earp,” he said patting his stomach. “I have to make sure Charles doesn’t sneak ‘em all like last time.”

“Let me know if he does and I’ll make sure to make you twice as many next week,” Waverly said before being led by another guard into a familiar hall. The fluorescent light buzzed overhead as she was led to the seperate room with an obvious two way mirror on the wall. It was a small, concrete room with a metal table in the middle. The table had a couple of loops on the top where they would lock handcuffs. She sat in the uncomfortable metal chair, purse on the ground and finally she heard the second door unlock. 

Her heart fluttered in excitement as a familiar head of red hair appeared, followed by a guard. Nicole looked up, brown eyes sparkling at her. Waverly’s heart broke but she smiled anyways as the guard locked her handcuffs to the loops in the middle of the table.

Nicole was gaunt, dark circles under her eyes and the orange uniform hanging on her body like a scarecrow. Waverly just wanted to bundle her up in her arms and hold her. But she learned after her first visit with Nicole that anything like that was definitely _not_ allowed.

“Hey, baby,” Waverly said softly, as if there wasn’t a guard standing just a few feet away. As much as they tried to pretend there was some semblance of privacy here, there never was. Waverly slowly slid her hands across the table to hold Nicole’s hands until the guards told them to knock it off.

“Hey,” Nicole said, voice cracking. She knew Nicole didn’t even talk unless Waverly was there. She just sat in her cell wasting away.

Waverly had finally figured out how to control her tears around Nicole. So she smiled widely back at her.

“I feel good about your next appeals hearing,” Waverly said, bouncing a little in her chair. “I’ve been going over your case-”

“Waves,” Nicole interrupted. “I don’t-...you know you don’t have to...keep doing this. Right?”

Waverly felt her smile falter and she shook her head. “Doing what?”

Nicole squeezed her hand. “I love you. I don’t want you wasting your life away getting all these law degrees and stuff just on some off chance that I’ll-...that you’ll be able to get me out of here.”

“I’m not-,” Waverly licked her lips. “I’m trying to help, Nicole.”

“I know,” Nicole said leaning forward a little. “And it makes me love you even more but...you have to move on.”

Waverly felt anger flare in her for a moment. “I have been-” she took a deep breath and started again. “I want to help. I _need_ to help. I can’t just stand by and-...” Tears choked Waverly’s throat and she took a moment before she continued. “I can’t sit by and watch you die.” 

“I deserve it,” Nicole started. “I hurt people, Waverly-”

“Stop it,” Waverly hissed. “I will not sit here while you-”

“While I what? Tell the truth?” Nicole said, eyes a little wild. 

“That isn’t who you are,” Waverly insisted.

“Obviously it is,” Nicole said, face going blank. It sent a chill up Waverly’s spine. It was in the little moments like this that Waverly could see how maybe...maybe...Nicole could hurt someone. Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hands and she came back to her.

“I’m not giving up,” Waverly said lowly. “I refuse to give up, Nicole.”

“Don’t waste your life on me,” Nicole said, head hanging and hair hanging limp around her face. 

Waverly looked over at the guard who gave a simple nod and averted his gaze. She leaned across the table and kissed Nicole softly.

“I love you,” Waverly whispered between kisses. “And I will never give up on you, Nicole Rayleigh Haught. Never.”

***

Waverly was jolted awake by a swift kick to her chair. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked around wildly. Finally her eyes landed on Wynonna sitting at the table across from her. Waverly groaned and looked down at the law book she had fallen asleep on top of.

“Fuck you too,” Waverly muttered, rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes.

“You’re gonna go blind reading so much, baby girl,” Wynonna said, taking a sip from the whiskey bottle she was holding. 

“You know that’s not true,” Waverly said, stretching her arms over her head. She gestured for the whiskey bottle and took a large gulp from it. Setting it back on the table between them, Waverly could feel the words waiting to spring from Wynonna’s mouth. The same words she’d heard for years.

“Waves,” Wynonna began.

Waverly shook her head. “Don’t start with me. Not tonight.”

“That’s what you always say,” Wynonna pointed out.

“And I always mean it.”

“How much money?” Wynonna asked, leaning closer to Waverly. “How much time?”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I’m not in the mood.”

“You’ve spent so much time and money on this _ridiculous_ endeavor,” Wynonna said evenly. “On law classes and experts and-...For what?”

“I love her, Wynonna,” Waverly said simply.

Wynonna barked out a laugh and took another swig of the whiskey. “Jesus, Waves, I know you always had a thing for charity cases but this is fucking ridiculous,” she spat.

Waverly had heard all this before. She had this argument with Wynonna at least once a week since Nicole lost her trial.

“She’s not a charity case,” Waverly argued.

“You know, I should have never indulged you,” Wynonna said with a shake of her head. “I should have never let you even start with this shit. Defending her. I thought it was a grief thing that you’d grow out of after you saw all the horrible shit she did. I didn’t think it would become some kind of sick obsession-”

“First of all, you didn’t _let_ me do anything, Wynonna,” Waverly retorted, anger brewing deep in her stomach. “I did it all because I wanted to. Because I _needed_ to.”

“It’s too much!” Wynonna said after another angry swig.

“I know you think I’m insane-”

“No, I don’t think you’re insane, Waves,” Wynonna said. “I think you’re being greedy and selfish, but not insane.”

Waverly shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. She looked down at the papers on the table in front of her. One was an envelope with every single victim Nicole had killed. Every crime scene photo of dismembered bodies, bloody bags…

She sighed, stomach churning sickly. “I’m telling you, Wynonna, that _isn’t_ her-”

“It’s literally her! She _admitted_ to killing those people. The amount of evidence is astronomical!” Wynonna said, waving her arm wildly. “You were _there_ in court when they brought out the evidence.”

“They were bad people!” Waverly tried, her heart aching at the excuse.

“Newsflash, Waverly, you can’t just kill people because they’re bad. We can’t just off whoever we feel like based on our own moral compasses. This is why I joined the FBI. This is why I thought _you_ wanted to join the FBI. to bring people to justice who do things wrong. Not by butchering them like her, but based on the _laws_.”

“I love her,” Waverly said, voice shaky. “I can’t just let her sit on death row.”

She knew what Wynonna said was true. She knew that Nicole was getting what she deserved. But there was that nagging in the back of her head. That horrible gnawing feeling in her veins that something was _wrong_. This wasn’t the woman she fell in love with.

Wynonna shook her head sympathetically. “I know you think you love her, baby girl, but I’m telling you. She’s using you. She’s not capable of love.”

Waverly slapped her hand down on the table. “Do you know what the only thing Nicole has been saying to me recently has been? It’s to give up. To not waste my life away.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I agree,” Wynonna said. “You’ve already wasted...what? Ten years? Ten _years_ of your life, Waverly? For what?”

“Because she’s the love of my life,” Waverly said simply, tears sitting on the corners of her eyes. She was actually surprised she could still cry anymore. After all these years. 

“I really fucking wish she wasn’t,” Wynonna said softly. “Because it’s only going to lead to more heartbreak, Waverly. She’s set to die-”

“I know,” Waverly said, hand tightening into a fist with her nails scraping on the wood of the table. “But I can’t give up. I promised.”

“This is going to kill you,” Wynonna said, voice strained and resigned. “It’s going to kill all of us.”

***

The man watched as the blackness swirling in the “Greed” vial grew a little. The scale tipped ever so slightly, the two sides almost even. He chuckled to himself and looked over at Gretta who was staring at the hourglasses. The tall one’s sand was almost out, almost completely filling the bottom.

They looked at each other, a vague sort of glee on their faces at the results.

“I suppose I underestimated you,” the man said, resting his hand under his chin, elbow on the arm folded across his stomach. “But it remains to be seen if your plan will work.”

“You think squandering ten years of your life on a cold blooded killer isn’t going to leave a lasting impression?” Gretta scoffed. “Well...ten dream years anyways.”

“Guess we’ll find out,” the man said turning back to his scales, waiting for the vials to outweigh the weights.

***

“Those bastards!” Wynonna practically bellowed. Jeremy flinched and it was surely only a matter of time until a nurse popped into see if Wynonna was _actually_ in distress or just yelling again.

“They think-!” Wynonna was so frustrated she couldn’t even finish her sentence. So she went back to her pacing routine in front of Waverly’s bed. She stopped suddenly, spinning and gripping the end of Waverly’s bed in her fists, anger hunching her shoulders. “We need to stop them. They think they can get to my sister, they have another thing coming.”

Jeremy and Dolls looked at each other nervously.

“Well…” Jeremy began, “If Gretta is manipulating Waverly in her dreams...there’s not much we can do.”

“We wake her up, that’s what we fucking do,” Wynonna said through gritted teeth.

“If we wake her up...while she’s being manipulated in her sleep...she won’t be the same,” Jeremy said, wringing his hands in front of him.

“What do you mean?” Wynonna asked, turning to him and making him take a scared step back until his back hit the way. 

Jeremy visibly swallowed. “She could get stuck in a...limbo of sorts. Her consciousness anyways. Somewhere between being awake and being asleep.”

Wynonna groaned. “So we just have to...wait?”

“Kinda…” Jeremy said. “Waverly’s gotta do most of the work on her own. She has to realize she’s in a dream.”

Wynonna turned back to Waverly who looked peacefully asleep in her bed. Who knew what battles she was fighting in her head. Wynonna moved to the side of Waverly’s bed, moving the chair so that she was sitting right next to her head.

“Come on, baby girl,” Wynonna whispered, taking her hand and squeezing. She wasn’t going to just sit around and do nothing. “They said she could hear us, right?”

Dolls nodded. “That’s what they say.”

“Well I don’t know about you, but I’m not just going to twiddle my thumbs while Waves fights...whatever it is she’s fighting.” Wynonna brushed some hair from Waverly’s face and started to whisper. “I’m here. You’re in a dream. Okay? Please please please remember. Remember your real life. Remember me.”

***

Waverly was zipping up her overnight bag when Wynonna wandered into her room, leaning against the doorframe. She had a whiskey bottle in her hand. Something that had become a permanent fixture it seemed.

“Where are you going?” Wynonna asked, voice grating.

Waverly looked over her shoulder briefly, already knowing how this conversation was going to go. “I’m going to see Nicole. Tomorrow is her-...well you know what tomorrow is.”

Wynonna scoffed. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“I know,” Waverly said, voice wavering as she tried not the think about Nicole strapped to a table, needle in her veins.

“I was hoping you’d come to your senses before this happened,” Wynonna said. “It’s going to be worse watching her-...watching her go, if you still think you love her.”

“I do love her,” Waverly said firmly. “And nothing could ever make this easier.”

“At least this nightmare will be over soon,” Wynonna muttered. “Then I can go back to being the one ruining our lives and you can be sweet innocent Waverly again. Minus the serial killer girlfriend this time.”

“She’s not-” Waverly swallowed her words, turning to face Wynonna with her hands on her hips. “I know you’ve never approved this, Wynonna, but you can at least leave me alone the day before my girlfriend is put down like a stray dog. Because of you I might add.”

Waverly turned back around and reopened her bag just for...something to do.

_”Waverly remember me.”_

She frowned and turned back to Wynonna. “What’d you say?”

Wynonna frowned and shook her head. “I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you-...I could have swore you whispered something,” Waverly said, voice trailing off.

_”You’re in a dream.”_

It was Wynonna’s voice but-...Wynonna hadn’t moved her lips. Waverly shook her head. 

“Maybe your girlfriend’s crazy is rubbing off on you.”

“It’s just because I’m stressed,” Waverly muttered, pointedly ignoring her sister’s comment and turning back towards her bag. She put the bag over her shoulder and turned back towards Wynonna. She wasn’t in the mood to fight with her sister. Not today. Not about this. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Wynonna faltered for a minute before she strode towards Waverly and looped her arms around her neck. Waverly stiffened for a moment before relaxing in her sister’s hold.

“I love you, baby girl,” she whispered against the side of Waverly’s head. “I’m sorry I-...I’m sorry you have to hurt. And I’ll always love you. No matter what. Okay?”

“I know,” Waverly sighed. “And I love you too. No matter what.”

***

The drive to the city was always long. Arduous. Making the drive every week for ten years hadn’t gotten any easier, but she got used to it. Waverly had gone through a ridiculous number of audio books during these drives so at least there was that.

She had made it out of the Homestead and was heading down the long lonely road out of there and to the main highway when it hit.

A wave of nausea that was so strong, Waverly practically swerved to pull over. She stumbled out of the car, hand on her stomach as she got out of the car and hobbled to the side of the road. For a moment she just stood there as her stomach decided if it was going to empty her stomach onto the highway or not. She breathed deeply through her nose, eyes fluttering shut. But as soon as she closed her eyes, images of a car accident flashed through her mind. 

Her car tumbling over and over. 

Being stuck in the snow.

Waverly opened her eyes again and looked at the ditch on the side of the road, nostrils flaring as the nausea continued.

It felt like...an illusion. Deja vu. But she could smell the leaked gasoline. The smell of the snow on the ground as she tumbled over and over into it. The searing pain.

_”You’re dreaming.”_

Waverly could smell the burning of a fire and old books...she could smell a hospital. The beeping of the machines.

_”This is a dream.”_

She looked up at the sky, the moon full above her. She could have sworn...it was light a few minutes ago. Waverly blinked up at the moon for a moment and a dark fog started to cover the moon, the edges of the moon glowing bright.

Waverly rubbed her eyes and when she opened them, it was light again. “What the hell?” 

“It’s just the stress,” Waverly said to herself, nausea fading as she started to get back in the car. “Just the stress.”

***

The images plagued Waverly’s mind until she got to the prison. Then the only thing she could focus on was Nicole behind those walls. Nicole who would be put to death in less than twenty-four hours.

It was nothing short of a miracle that Waverly was being allowed a conjugal visit to Nicole. Waverly was just thrilled that she would be able to hold Nicole for longer than a few seconds without being reprimanded.

Waverly basically collapsed in Nicole’s arms the moment she saw her. It was the first time she had seen her without the handcuffs. Nicole felt so...slight. She could feel every bone under her skin and hated the way Nicole flinched at the human contact. But after a few moments, Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly and she felt some of the stress leave her body.

“Hey, baby,” Nicole whispered hoarsely. 

Waverly held back happy tears and looked up at the redhead. She was skinnier than Waverly remembered and it felt like if she squeezed hard enough she would break Nicole. Pulling back a little, Waverly put her hands on either side of Nicole’s face and offered her a watery smile, tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Hey, baby,” Waverly replied softly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Nicole said, pressing their foreheads together. Waverly closed her eyes and tried to pretend there wasn’t the annoying buzzing of fluorescent lights overhead. That they weren’t in a depressing bland room with a rickety cot in the corner and a couple of chairs on the other side of the room. For a moment, she could pretend none of this had happened and they were standing in the Homestead again.

Waverly carded her fingers through Nicole’s hair, wondering how she still smelled like vanilla dipped donuts.

Her heart ached at the sadness of it all. At the hopelessness that had settled in her veins over the past ten years. At the way her life had taken a turn that she could have never expected, but she would have never given up because it meant she had Nicole.

“I know I told you to leave and not bother with me. But,” Nicole licked her lips and Waverly opened her eyes again. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad I never listened to you,” Waverly teased with a small smile.

“Yeah, me too,” Nicole said, smiling so wide that Waverly saw her dimples. For a while Waverly forgot she even had them. Nicole never smiled anymore. Not with that level of happiness.

Waverly lifted herself on her tiptoes and kissed Nicole softly. She felt Nicole sigh against her lips and pull Waverly tighter against her. Nicole’s hand slipped up the back of Waverly’s shirt, tips of her fingers just barely touching the skin of her lower back. It was a simple act but...it awoke something in Waverly.

Again, she smelled old books and a fireplace. She felt Nicole’s skin in a way she hadn’t before. She was remembering a time she hadn’t lived.

_”This is all a dream. A nightmare.”_

She frowned and kissed Nicole harder.

Nicole was dying tomorrow. And Waverly knew her soul would go right with her.

Her heart hurt so much that it had gone numb out of self-preservation. She knew there was no way that she’d ever be able to love again. To feel the same happiness she had felt in that brief time with Nicole. It was impossible. It had to be. Losing Nicole was going to break her.

They were in a tiny room with barely any privacy but Waverly needed to love Nicole. Really love her for the last time. 

Their hands moved over each other’s skin, drinking it in as they laid back on the cot. Waverly let Nicole undress her as slowly as she wanted. Needed. Each little breath across her sensitive skin felt like a prayer. A promise. An apology. Waverly let Nicole take her the way she needed.

There were scars on Nicole’s body that Waverly didn’t remember from the last time they’d been intimate. Years ago on the Homestead before Nicole turned herself in. It pained Waverly’s heart. Like a story about her love that she would never hear. That she probably didn’t want to hear.

They made love like tentative teenagers having their first time. They fucked. They worshipped each other until it was almost impossible to move. It was when they were rocking together slowly, lazily. Their bones tired and warm as they just felt each other. Nicole’s fingers buried deep in Waverly and just _feeling_ her. Really feeling her.

Tears sprang to Waverly’s eyes as she thought about how utterly safe and _loved_ she felt. And how exquisite her pain was in that moment. She came with a barely audible gasp that Nicole swallowed with her mouth.

Her brain went blank for a moment and then it all hit her like a train.

_”This isn’t real._

She remembered.

“This isn’t real,” Waverly whispered, tears leaking down the sides of her face. Nicole hushed her and kissed away her tears.

“I’m here, my love,” Nicole whispered as Waverly came down from her high. “I’m here.”

“This isn’t real,” Waverly repeated, eyes fluttering open as she held Nicole’s face in her hands. Nicole frowned at her, confused, and shook her head.

“Waves-”

Waverly sat up on her elbows, Nicole having to push herself up on her elbows as she slowly pulled out of Waverly. 

“This isn’t...real,” Waverly said, frowning as she tried to piece it together in her head. “This is a dream. It’s all a dream.”

“Waverly,” Nicole started. “I’m...scared too. But this isn’t-”

“It is,” Waverly whispered, a hopeful smile lighting up her face as she started to remember even more. “This is a dream. None of this is real. It means you don’t have to die.”

Nicole faltered. “I don’t...understand.”

“I remember, I need you to remember,” Waverly said frantically. “We’re being manipulated. If you die in a dream you die in real life-”

There was a loud knock on the door and their heads whipped towards it. “Five minute warning!” a gruff voice came from the other side.

Nicole turned back to Waverly and she licked her lips. “I have to go.”

“No, Nicole!” Waverly insisted. “You have to remember!”

“Waves,” Nicole said with tears in her eyes. “Please. Don’t do this right now.”

Waverly gripped Nicole’s arms desperately, keeping her close. “You don’t remember anything? The library? The hospital? The Dark Moon?”

Nicole shook her head slowly. “No. I don’t.”

“Alright, time’s up!” A guard said, unlocking the door and barging in. Nicole scrambled with the blanket to make sure Waverly was covered. She didn’t seem bothered with her own nudity, probably used to it by this point. The blood was pounding in Waverly’s ears and she reached for Nicole as she put her clothes back on.

“Please, remember,” Waverly whispered, tears clouding her vision.

“Waverly,” Nicole said sadly. “I know you’re freaking out because of everything that’s happening tomorrow. But I need you to be here with me. Now. Please.”

Waverly was torn. With the pain in Nicole’s face, she wanted to help her. Support her. Give her what she needed before-...

But this wasn’t real. None of it was.

Waverly wrapped a blanket around her and got up, walking over to Nicole and cupping her face.

“I love you,” Waverly said, voice wavering. “But are you telling me you don’t remember anything? The library? The books? The fireplace?”

Nicole started to shake her head but stopped, a frown on her face. “Wait…”

Hope lit in Waverly’s stomach.

“Wait,” Nicole whispered. “I...a library...soulmates. I thought it was a dream.”

“It wasn’t a dream. That’s real,” Waverly said desperately. “Nicole! You don’t have to di-”

It felt like a giant vacuum had turned on. Like Waverly’s skin was being taken from her limbs. But as soon as it started, it was over and Waverly was in a different small room. Dressed, thankfully. She looked around and realized she was sitting in the middle of a row of chairs, two rows and maybe fifteen seats. The room looked like brick painted white and there was a country flag in the corner. The air was cold and sterile smelling. Besides her was Wynonna, looking straight ahead at what looked like a metal covered window. 

Waverly blinked for a moment before it hit her.

“Oh shit.”

Wynonna looked over at her just as the metal covering the large window started to roll up.

“You alright, baby girl?” Wynonna whispered. Waverly’s eyes were glued to the window as the metal window rolled up. Her heart crawled into her throat when she saw Nicole strapped to a table, a guard at her side. Her brown eyes were wild, chest heaving. Waverly saw the line to an IV in her arm and felt sick.

“No no no no _nonono_ ,” Waverly whispered, hand blindly gripping at Wynonna’s knee. “This can’t be happening.”

“Ssh, it’s okay, baby girl,” Wynonna whispered. “It’ll be over soon.”

“No, this can’t happen,” Waverly said, standing up suddenly. 

She needed to get to Nicole. She needed to fix this. Before Nicole died in her dream and died in the real world too.

“What are you doing?” Wynonna hissed, reaching for Waverly’s wrist but she yanked it away. 

“How do I get in there?”

“Nicole Haught,” the guard besides Nicole began. “You have been sentenced to death for the murder of Marcus Davis, Drew Pendleton, Ryan Phillips, Harry Christian, Ted Stevens, Drew Whitman, Lois Stan, Wendy Sticks and Champ Hardy. I would like to give you the opportunity to make a statement before we proceed with your sentence.”

“Nicole!” Waverly practically screamed, even though she knew the other woman couldn’t hear her. But she knew Nicole could see her. She could see her through the window and when their eyes met, Waverly could hear a microphone turn on overhead.

“Waves,” Nicole managed, breathing heavy. “I believe you! I remember!”

“Nicole! What do you remember?” Waverly shouted uselessly.

“This isn’t real! This isn’t real and we’re in a dream!” Nicole said, frantic tears falling down her cheeks. “We’re in a library somewhere! And we’re both in a coma!”

The guard quickly turned off Nicole’s microphone, but Waverly could still her yelling. The guards were trying to calm Nicole down who was now straining from the chair. Someone rushed in with a syringe and Waverly panicked. Nicole remembered! Nicole remembered and they should be able to leave! To be out of this nightmare.

“What’s wrong?” Waverly said in a panic, looking around for an answer. But nothing. She was still in this place and Nicole was about to be killed. She thought back to all the other times that they had been in this situation and had an idea. “This better be a dream with no real consequences.”

Waverly quickly grabbed Wynonna’s gun from her belt.

“Hey!”

“Don’t you dare try to stop me right now, Wynonna!” Waverly said, voice shaking. Wynonna held her hands up but another guard in the room pulled his weapon on her.

“Gun on the floor!”

Waverly turned and shot without thinking, hitting the guard in the knee. He yelled out and collapsed so Waverly took the chance to rush towards the door.

“I’m sorry!” she said to the guard as she stepped over him and into the hall. She looked around frantically and saw another door that looked like it led into the room Nicole had been in. She shot the door handle, blowing out the lock and knocking the door open with her hip.

“Nicole!” Waverly yelled, gun pointing at the guards trying to hold her back. “Leave her!”

Both guards looked confused. One reached for his gun and she shot him in the shoulder. The other one held his hands up and let Waverly run up to Nicole. She cupped her face and saw relief flooding in Nicole’s eyes.

“Do you remember?” Waverly asked quickly.

“I do. I remember every second I was with you,” Nicole said, leaning into Waverly’s hand. Waverly leaned forward and kissed Nicole hard just as the world around them went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz/status/1065641122913873920)


	13. don't dream it's over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Here we are...one chapter away from the end...and if you thought things got crazy before...they're REALLY gonna get crazy now. I managed to slip a small little homage to one of my old fics in here. If you find it you get a cookie. But it's actually pretty obvious I guess...ANYWHO
> 
> When you get to the dance hall scene...you should play [this song.](https://open.spotify.com/track/4b1hVHiZrltoXPDskF0mCp?si=vrBEYLgtSUahBZxVgtXtuA) Just saying.
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me?”

Gretta watched as some of the sand in the taller hourglass moved from the bottom section to the top, somehow defying gravity. And just as it was about to run out.

The man hummed, eyes still on his little cabinet of sins as the scales tipped just a little more in favor of the bottles. 

“Greed and Pride really got Earp on this round,” he said, leaning a little closer to the vials and smirking at the black smoke that swirled inside them. “I don’t imagine it’ll be much longer until the scales have tipped in our favor.”

“You know, if you’re turning this into a competition, it’s not really fair that you’re using my methods to advance your scales,” Gretta pointed out.

The man shrugged. “I wouldn’t call this much of a competition.”

Gretta rolled her eyes and turned back to the hourglasses, cracking her knuckles. “The kid gloves come off. We have thirty hours.”

“Better get going then,” the man challenged with a dismissive wave.

“Oh, you better believe it, Sandy.”

***

Nicole was breathing heavily when they ended up back in the library. She felt Waverly’s hand on her cheek but it brought her little comfort right now. Opening her eyes, she saw Waverly’s face close and the way that she was looking at her…

Waverly’s face was pale, eyes wide as she looked at Nicole like...like she didn’t know her.

Sickness started in the pit of Nicole’s stomach, spreading through her limbs and veins. She pulled away from Waverly and sat down on the nearest chair. Waverly continued to look at her, neither of them speaking.

Nicole looked down at her hands, free of scars now, and thought about everything that had happened in their dream. Her mouth felt dry and she rested her elbows on her knees, head in her hands. 

What the _fuck_ had she done?

“Waverly,” Nicole whispered, voice low and strained. “I...Waverly, I hurt people.”

“Nicole,” Waverly started, reaching out a little for Nicole before her hand dropped between them. She sat on the edge of the table and ran a hand through her hair. “Ten _years._ ”

“Ten years,” Nicole repeated, still staring at her hands. “And it all felt...so real.”

“But it wasn’t,” Waverly said. It sounded like a reminder to herself more than anything. “It wasn’t a real. It was a _dream_. You would never-...”

Nicole swallowed thickly. “I remember everything,” she said. “I remember...I remember _killing_ people. I remember it felt _good_ , Waverly. That...that’s the worst part. I remember I-...it was like a need. A compulsive need that I couldn’t control. And the blood...there was so much blood. I can smell it. Taste it. Like...copper.”

“Stop!” Waverly said suddenly, eyes squeezed shut. “Stop it, Nicole! This-...that wasn’t you.”

“What if it is?” Nicole asked, surprised by her own words. “What if I’m...what if I liked it...too much?”

Waverly gripped the edge of the table harder. “That _isn’t_ you! Stop it, Nicole,” Waverly squeezed her eyes tighter and Nicole could see tears shining on her lashes. “Please, just… _ten years_.”

Nicole was up immediately and rushing to Waverly. She went to reach for her but stopped herself short. Maybe Waverly wouldn’t want her to touch her anymore. Not after what she did. What she was. But Waverly reached for her without even looking, gripping onto her shirt and burying her face in Nicole’s neck. The hot sting of Waverly’s tears on her neck broke Nicole’s heart. She wrapped her arms around Waverly and squeezed her tight. Waverly’s arms circled her waist and she sniffled.

“Ten years,” Waverly whispered through her tears. “Ten years I was without you. Ten years I thought-...that you were a murderer.”

Nicole turned her face into Waverly’s hair and breathed her in. Some of the stress had left her chest, but the sickness was still there. She remembered what it was like to slice into someone’s flesh. To take the last breath from their lungs. To _want_ to hurt people. To _like_ it. The power that it gave her to watch someone’s life drain from their eyes. It was exhilarating. 

And that terrified Nicole.

She never thought she’d be capable of such a thing. Of hurting someone. But now she had lived it. That was the scariest part. That if felt like just yesterday she was cutting into someone’s throat.

Nicole shivered and held Waverly tighter. 

“I’m sorry,” Nicole whispered. She didn’t deserve to hold Waverly. Didn’t deserve to- “I love you.”

“I know,” Waverly said into Nicole’s neck. “I...love you too. I really really love you.”

Nicole kissed the side of Waverly’s head and she turned so that their lips could come together instead. She cradled Waverly’s body in her arms as their lips pressed together, trying to erase every bad dream. Every bad _memory_.

Waverly hiccuped and pulled back to look at Nicole, eyes rimmed with red. “Who’s doing this to us?”

With a shake of her head, Nicole reached up and gently wiped a tear from Waverly’s cheek. “I don’t know. But we’re going to find them. And stop them. Okay?”

Waverly sniffled and suddenly looked over at the books on the table. “Oh no.”

“What?” Nicole asked cautiously.

Waverly looked back at her. “What’s been the common theme for the past few dreams?”

“Pure torture.”

“Besides that.”

“Well I always end up in some kinda danger I guess-”

“Precisely!” Waverly said, eyes bright with realization. “Those bastards are trying to kill you!”

“Oh...Oh!” Nicole processed the information and shook her head. “Why?”

Waverly twisted around in Nicole’s arms and picked up a book that read ‘Angel: Myth And Legend’. Nicole couldn’t help but place a small kiss on Waverly’s shoulder before moving to the side and looking over her shoulder at the book. Not that it mattered, it was all gibberish anyways. Especially at the rapid rate Waverly was flipping through it.

Finally Waverly stopped on a page, but she was turning back to Nicole with a gasp before she could try and read it.

“What is it?” Nicole asked. 

Waverly bit her lip and looked up at Nicole. “I think I know why they’re trying to kill you,” she said, voice delicate.

“Why’s that?” Nicole asked, hand gently coming to rest on Waverly’s hip. She didn’t want to be apart from her too long. Her body still remembered not touching her for days at a time while she was in prison. Their physical interactions limited to short hugs and chaste kisses. And all she wanted to do was feel Waverly’s skin under her fingers. To know she was there. Real and alive.

“Welll,” Waverly started, drawing out the word. “So angels sort of...bond for life…when they find their...soulmate.”

“Okay,” Nicole said with a patient tilt of her head. “So why’s that bad?”

“They need a dark angel to open Paradise,” Waverly continued, hand covering Nicole’s on her hip. “And one of the ways to make a dark angel is to put them in some kind of heart wrenching anguish and...the easiest way to achieve that is to kill their one true love.”

“Oh.” Nicole said, much calmer than she felt. “I see.”

“And I have a feeling that the only way that we’re going to be getting out of this is...when you die and when I turn dark,” Waverly whispered, hand squeezing Nicole’s. 

“Huh,” Nicole said with a small frown. “I guess that...is a thing then.”

“It’s fine,” Waverly said, turning back towards the table and setting the book on top. She pressed her hands flat to the table and stared down at the book with an intensity that Nicole hadn’t seen before. “I’m going to figure this out.”

“Are we sure there’s-...another way?” Nicole asked, hair behind her ear. “Maybe I just have to die-”

Waverly turned with the force of a hurricane, eyes staring down Nicole. “Don’t even think about it.”

Nicole held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, baby,” Nicole smiled and leaned down to kiss her softly. “You sure are cute with that face though.”

She kissed Waverly again and felt her relax against her lips.

“I’m trying to be intimidating,” Waverly said.

“You are very intimidating,” Nicole said with another soft kiss. She went to pull away but Waverly gently took her face in her hands and brought their lips together again. Nicole sighed at the tenderness of it and another memory pulled at her brain again. “I remember when we were in court and you were trying to prove that the evidence was tampered with. That look you gave the coroner was _very_ scary.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said with a blush. “I thought so.”

“It was.”

Waverly kissed Nicole again, eyes still closed when she pulled away. “Ten years,” she said in disbelief. “Balls, ten years is a long time.”

“It felt like forever,” Nicole said. “But we’re here now. And it hasn’t been ten years in real life. Probably not even a whole day.”

“You’re right,” Waverly said, “But still. Ten years.”

Nicole smiled. “But now we get to do it again. I’d do it all over again for you.”

“Charmer.”

And in a blink, they were gone.

***

“So she’s also in a mysterious coma,” Jeremy trailed off, mostly speaking to himself as Wynonna stared at the redhead. Dolls was on the other side of her hospital bed, standing in his typical pose of arms crossed and staring blankly.

“According to Nedley, after Waverly’s accident she kept complaining about not being able to sleep,” Wynonna said. She bent at the waist, getting a little closer to Nicole’s face as she said under her breath. “If I find out you were the one my little sister was having a sex dream about…”

Jeremy cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. “They a...that seems likely.”

Wynonna’s eyes snapped to Jeremy. “What do you mean?”

“If she was having problems sleeping after Waverly was put in her coma then...they might be-...they’re probably soulmates.”

Wynonna looked long and hard at Jeremy, trying to figure out if he was kidding or not. She sighed and looked back at Nicole who was none the wiser about Wynonna’s immediate distrust.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Jeremy?” Wynonna asked. 

Jeremy visibly swallowed. “Based on...all the other evidence...my theory is that they’re soulmates and they’re using Nicole to turn Waverly into a dark angel.”

Wynonna fixed Jeremy with a hard stare. “And you’re doing all you can to stop it. Right?”

He nodded. “Honestly, the best scenario would be to find Gretta-”

“I’m on it,” Dolls said with a nod. I’ve got Doc and Kate trying to find her too.”

“I’ll go help,” Wynonna said, straightening up.

“Wynonna, you should probably stay here in case she shows up again,” Dolls said. “Or in case Waverly wakes up.”

Wynonna huffed and looked back at Nicole. “Fine. You’re right.”

“Than you,” Dolls said, nodding towards Jeremy to follow as they both left the hospital room.

“I’m gonna keep my eye on you too, fire crotch,” Wynonna said under her breath to Nicole as she backed out of the room.

***

The sound of a wolf howling woke Waverly up from her light sleep. She clutched her shotgun against her chest, finger automatically finding the trigger as she looked around in the darkness for a sign of danger.

“It’s okay, baby girl, they’re far away,” she heard Wynonna whisper from her side. “We’re fine.”

Waverly nodded, even if Wynonna couldn’t see her in the pitch black of the woods. She licked her lips and sat for another moment, listening for a hint at any sort of nearby disturbance. When she was satisfied, Waverly laid back down in her sleeping bag, shotgun at her side. Just in case.

“Where’s Shapiro?” Waverly whispered into the dark.

“She’s...still out,” Wynonna said.

“Should we go look for her?”

“There’s no point going now,” Wynonna said. “She probably just...got stuck somewhere. She’ll be back tomorrow. I’m sure of it.”

Waverly didn’t say anything, just shut her eyes. She knew how easy it was for things to go sour in an instant. Clutching at the dog tags around her neck she looked over at Wynonna who she just knew was doing the same with her own. 

Waverly let out a shuddering sigh and held the dog tags tighter, the thin metal digging into the calloused skin of her palms. She thought of Doc and Dolls as she drifted off to sleep.

***

“Shapiro’s still not back,” Wynonna said matter of factly when Waverly woke up with the sun.

“Alright, let’s go look for her,” Waverly said, already jumping out of her sleeping bag. She rolled it up and tied it to the top of her bag. Slipping on her gun belt, she shrugged on her jacket and picked up her shotgun. Wynonna stared at the old remnants of their fire from the night before, eyes blank. “Wynonna.”

“I can’t lose someone else,” Wynonna said, voice cracking. “I can’t lose her.”

Waverly walked over to her sister and kneeled in besides her, one hand on her back while the other found her knee. “Wynonna,” she started, “we’re not going to lose her. I’m not going to let that happen.”

“I led everyone here,” Wynonna said, eyes unblinking. “I led them all to leave the compound-”

“You did what was best,” Waverly said firmly. “Okay? You did what we needed to do. And they did it because they believed in you. And Eliza and I still do. So let’s go. Okay?”

Wynonna nodded, a new fire in her eyes as she stood up and started packing up her things. Waverly hid the evidence of their fire and after a few moments they were out of the camp and making their way through the forest again. They were heading back to where they had left Eliza. At an old gas station down the street.

She and Wynonna had gotten into a fight. Something stupid that Waverly didn’t even remember right now. But Eliza told Wynonna to fuck off so Wynonna said they were going to leave without her. And they did. 

They hadn’t had any problems in...weeks. It had been three months since Dolls was caught and more than a year since Rosita was-...well...since her and Doc suffered the same fate. The same one they were running away from. Their small group of six had slowly dwindled down to three. And now their three was down to two. For now.

They approached the gas station, crouching on the other side of the road, hidden in the tree cover. They both readied their guns and looked for movement. Waverly’s breathing got shallow as they looked, afraid to make even the slightest sound for fear that the Wolves would find them.

Wynonna called out with a bird call, what they used to signal each other if they had to. She waited a few moments, both of them holding their breath in hopes of hearing a reply from Eliza. But nothing. 

They looked at each other briefly before running towards the gas station across the open road. Once they got inside, they let out a small sigh of relief to be back in cover. Their weapons lowered, the looked around the mostly looted store with a sigh. The shelves were basically empty, the ones that were still standing anyways. At least the broken windows served to let sunlight stream in and illuminate the place with its old fluorescent lights hanging haphazardly from the ceiling.

“Alright. Let’s look for any clues of where Shapiro went,” Wynonna said taking off to one side of the store. Waverly took the other, both of them coming up with nothing. Waverly moved into the storage room of the station and gasped. 

In the corner was a puddle of blood, smearing in it that led to a trail that Waverly was sure from someone being dragged through it. She knelt down near the puddle to examine it, using a nearby stick to poke at it. The blood was just dried enough that it seemed reasonable that whoever had gotten injured was here only a few hours ago. 

“Wynonna!” Waverly called. Her sister came running, skidding to a stop when she saw the blood. 

“Shit dick _balls_ fuck,” she cursed in a string under her breath.

“This isn’t as bad as you might think,” Waverly assured Wynonna. “The blood’s pretty fresh. And it might not even be her blood. But whoever’s blood it is...they couldn’t have gotten far.”

Wynonna let out a sigh and rolled her shoulders. “Fine. Let’s keep looking,” she said pointing her chin towards the back door. Wynonna pulled her gun from its holster and held it up at her side. “If this is Shapiro’s blood, whoever did this better be fucking ready for the business end of Peacemaker.” 

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd to call the person you’re sleeping with by their last name?” Waverly asked, trying to add some lightness to the mood. 

“What? No,” Wynonna said like it was the most obvious thing. She pushed past Waverly and opened the back door open, leading with her gun in front of her. Waverly followed close behind, rifle up in front of her. Her eyes were on the cold ground in front of them, grass still crunching from freeze, as they followed the drops of blood on the ground. Only a few yards away from the gas station was an area of disturbed grass, like someone had been lying in it. They looked at it for a moment, noticed some more blood pooled near it and followed what looked like a path caused by something being dragged.

Waverly’s stomach dropped and she saw Wynonna’s grip on her gun tighten.

“Let’s go,” Wynonna whispered, already following the drag marks. Waverly scrambled to catch up to Wynonna who was practically jogging as she got to another clearance in the trees. There was a cement structure in the middle that had the vague look of shelter. It was more of a cement box with a doorway and window.

They crouched behind some bushes and listened carefully. There wasn’t a sound of voices, but their ears picked up some light grunting. Wynonna gestured for Waverly to follow her as she stayed crouched and ran quietly towards the structure. 

“Wynonna!” Waverly whispered, trying to get her to stop. But she kept going. Waverly cursed to herself and followed close behind towards the sound. They flattened themselves against one of the sides of the structure and listened again. Wynonna cocked her gun and quickly turned the corner, gun in front of her.

“Hands up you sonavabitch,” Wynonna snarled out. 

Waverly followed her, shotgun raised in front of her. Her eyes immediately saw the dead body on the ground, outfitted in the typical Wolf uniform, which was a relief. But Waverly looked up at the person who was standing behind it, obviously dragging the body by the arms. At least, until she was interrupted. 

A tall woman with pale skin and red hair poking out from under her beanie looked at them calmly, hands in the air. She was dressed in the typical Wolf uniform, black cargo pants tucked into combat boots, a long sleeve black shirt with an ammo vest and a thick jacket over it, the Wolf insignia on the arm. It only took a quick glance to see the serial number tattoo at the base of her neck. Waverly’s grip tightened on her gun, eyes hardening.

“What’d you do with Shapiro?” Wynonna hissed.

The other woman looked confused for a second before answering. “Blonde hair? About your height?”

“Yeah. Where the fuck is she?” Wynonna asked again. She glanced down at the body again. “And what happened to your buddy here?”

The redhead answered easily. “Eliza’s safe. And if you take that gun off of me I’ll show you where.”

“Nice try,” Wynonna said. “Everyone knows not to trust a Wolf.”

“Hey!” All their focus shifted to Shapiro who had walked up behind the redhead. “I’m fine. Don’t bother with this one.”

She pointed towards Nicole who had the audacity to smirk. Her eyes moved to Waverly and she smirked even wider, dimples popping on her cheeks. Waverly hated that she blushed.

“She’s a Wolf,” Wynonna said, gun still on the redhead even though Waverly could see her holding back from rushing towards Eliza in relief.

Eliza sighed and walked up to Wynonna until the barrel of her gun hit her chest. She smiled at Wynonna, putting her hand around the barrel and lowering the gun back to Wynonna’s side. She closed the distance between them, curling her hand around the back of Wynonna’s neck and putting their foreheads together.

“This Wolf is harmless,” Eliza whispered. “She saved me.”

Eliza leaned forward and kissed Wynonna softly, so Waverly averted her gaze back to the Wolf who still had her hands in the air. 

“Is that the typical greeting around here?” she asked, nodding towards Wynonna and Eliza. “Should we-?”

“No,” Waverly said briskly, finally lowering her gun. “I’m still not fully convinced you’re not a threat.”

“I haven’t killed you yet, have I?” she said with a tilt of her head that Waverly should not have found cute at all. “Ever known a Wolf to take their time when they’re determined?”

Waverly squinted at her. “Maybe you’re a sneaky one.”

Nicole chuckled and shrugged. “I’m not very sneaky if you found us.”

“She’s not a threat, Waverly,” Eliza said, walking back up to Nicole and clapping her shoulder. “Nicole’s a good one. She killed her buddy here after he tried to...attack me.”

The shifting of Eliza’s eyes let Waverly know it was more than just an attack. Wynonna practically growled. 

“The bastard is lucky he’s already dead.”

“Yeah, well, the other Wolves are going to be after us soon. I tried to keep his heart tracker going for as long as I could, but they’re going to know he’s dead and come looking for him,” Nicole said, shoving the body with her foot. “We gotta get out of here.”

“ _We?_ ” Wynonna scoffed. “They’re your people, red. You’re fine and we’re not. So we’re not bringing you with us.”

Nicole shrugged. “You have a point. But I also know how they work.”

“And you think five years of being on the run and we don’t know how _your_ kind work?” Wynonna asked incredulously. 

“Earp,” Eliza said seriously, lowering her voice a little as she tugged on the front of Wynonna’s jacket. “She saved my life.”

Waverly watched in fascination as Wynonna’s icy facade cracked a little. But it was back up in an instant, her gun trained directly on Nicole’s chest. Waverly looked at the Wolf and was surprised by the lack of disdain she felt. Usually, just the sight of the Wolf symbol would cause a fire to light in her chest. But looking at Nicole...something about her seemed different. There was an inherent trust there that felt...dangerous.

She turned to her sister, her back to Nicole as she whispered. “I think we should trust her.”

Wynonna’s eyes flickered to Waverly with a frown. “Waves, are you serious? She’s a Wolf. They’ve killed our people.”

Waverly licked her lips. “Wynonna, please...just...trust me?”

Wynonna’s entire posture relaxed and she rolled her eyes. Moving past Shapiro she said, “If I find out this is just because you have a boner, baby girl...I swear.” She held her hand palm up in front of Nicole. 

“Gimme your weapon,” she said.

Nicole raised an eyebrow at her. “I could die-”

“Yeah, well, I don’t quite trust you yet,” Wynonna interrupted. “Give me your weapon.”

Nicole didn’t break eye contact with Wynonna as she took her gun off her belt and placed it in her hand. Waverly’s eyes got wide when she saw the government issued plasma weapon in her sister’s hand. Wynonna put it in her own holster and Nicole held her hand out to Wynonna to shake.

“I promise you, I won’t hurt you,” Nicole said, brown eyes trained on Wynonna.

Wynonna looked down at her hand and back up at Nicole. “Yeah. Damn straight you won’t when I have your gun. Now let’s go. You’re up front, Red. Where I can keep an eye on you.”

Nicole picked up her bag from besides the dead body and swung it over her shoulders. She gave Wynonna an unreadable look before starting back into the forest. Waverly followed close behind, intrigued by the other woman. 

“Hey,” Waverly said as she fell in step besides her. “I’m Waverly.”

Nicole looked at her and smiled widely. “Hey, Waverly. I’m Nicole.” She looked over her shoulder at Wynonna. “Your friend always like this.”

“She’s my sister. And yes,” Waverly said with a nod. “She’s very protective of her people.”

Nicole hummed. “As she should be. I admire that.”

Waverly chuckled. “You’ll admire it until she refuses to give you your weapon back.”

“I think I can convince her,” Nicole said, hooking her thumbs behind the straps of her backpack. “I can be very charming when I want to be.”

Nicole looked over at Waverly with the same smirk from earlier and she felt her mouth dry up. She cleared her throat and looked straight ahead.

“Wolves aren’t exactly known for their charm, are they?” Waverly said with a tilt of her head and a teasing smile. “You’re lucky she didn’t shoot you on sight like we usually do with Wolves.”

“Thanks to you,” Nicole said softly, smile softening. “I owe you.”

“Just don’t prove me wrong,” Waverly said with a wink. She was pleased to see a small blush on Nicole’s face at the gesture, and they forged ahead.

***

“I’ll take first watch,” Nicole said as they set up their camp for the night.

“Nice try, Red,” Wynonna said, dropping her bag to the ground. “You’re not taking a watch. Just enjoy your beauty rest. M’kay?”

Nicole shrugged. “I’m more than happy to pull my weight.”

“Not until I can trust you won’t take us all out or run and give our location away to your buddies,” Wynonna said as Eliza started to build a fire. Waverly rolled her eyes and looked over at Nicole.

“Just enjoy it while you can,” Waverly said. “I’ll take the second shift.”

Nicole just grunted and sat down on the ground with her back against a tree. Waverly laid out her sleeping bag and nodded at the redhead.

“You don’t have something to sleep on?” 

“Nah. We were only out on patrol. Don’t have anything for camping,” Nicole said as she tucked her hands in her pockets and squirmed a little to get comfortable. Waverly felt a pang of guilt as she smoothed out her sleeping bag. Even if it was in no way her fault Nicole wasn’t prepared for camping. 

“Well, when I go on my shift you’re welcome to use my sleeping bag,” Waverly said, hearing Wynonna scoff behind her.

Nicole’s smirk was back. “I bet that’s big enough to share too.”

“I swear to god, Red,” Wynonna said, pulling her gun from the holster. “If I ever hear you flirting with my baby sister again I will personally destroy you.”

Nicole just winked at Waverly, making her cheeks heat up. Waverly cleared her throat and looked away, catching Eliza’s eye. The blonde smirked at Waverly, wiggling her eyebrows. Waverly shot her a look and ignored Wynonna, knowing that she was probably giving her a death stare at the moment.

She didn’t need to justify her...stupid crush to Wynonna. Not yet anyways.

***

Wynonna woke her up a few hours later and Waverly pushed away her hand that insisted on shaking her. Waverly frowned at her and sat up.

“I’m awake,” she whispered, shivering when the cold night air hit her. She pulled her shotgun out from the sleeping bag as she got up. Nicole was awake, sleepy eyes blinking and watching the sisters interact. Wynonna slipped into her own sleeping bag, grumbling when Eliza reached out to pull her closer but settling into her embrace anyways.

Waverly nodded towards her bag and whispered to Nicole. “Take the sleeping bag. I’ll be fine since I’m awake.”

Nicole shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said despite the shiver Waverly could see taking over her limbs. 

“You’re not fine. Just take the bag,” Waverly said.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Both of you shut up,” Wynonna grumbled. Waverly rolled her eyes and turned back to Nicole.

“It’s there for when you decide to stop being stubborn,” she said as she sat over near the dying fire, shotgun across her lap. It was hard to keep from being bored when you had the watch shift. But it was necessary. Being bored meant dozing and dozing meant danger. Usually Waverly would see how much of Shakespeare’s poems she remembered. There was still a copy hidden at the very bottom of her backpack that she had rescued from the ruined ashes of a library.

Tonight though, she found herself wondering about Nicole. Where did she come from? How did she become a Wolf?

Most of the Wolves they’d come across through the years were robots. Shells of humans sent to destroy the “unclean”. A lot of them had been raised young in their brainwashing camps through the years. But Nicole seemed...normal.

Waverly stared at the redhead as she shifted, trying to get comfortable and warm.

There was a familiarity that...scared Waverly. 

Wolves were their enemy. The ones they were fighting against, running from...the ones that killed her family. And yet...here they were with one in their camp. Brown eyes shifted to meet her own and Waverly blushed, looking back at the dying fire. For the next few hours, she just quoted Shakespeare to herself under her breath.

“When my love swears that she is made of truth, I do believe her though I know she lies. That she might think me some untutored youth, unlearned in the world's false subtleties.”

***

The next day, they were on the road again, following the map Wynonna had gotten a few months before. The map that was supposed to take them to Sanctuary. Nicole and Waverly were up front again, ignoring the couple-ish bickering of Wynonna and Shapiro behind them.

“So,” Nicole started softly, “what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Waverly snorted. “Is that your attempt at a pick up line?”

“Who says I’m trying to pick you up?”

Waverly stuttered in embarrassment for a moment before Nicole laughed. 

“I mean I am. But was it that obvious?” Nicole said, leaning down so her face was a little closer to Waverly’s. 

She bumped her shoulder into Nicole’s, trying to keep her face neutral. “You must not be very good at it.”

Nicole chuckled. “I don’t know. I’m seeing a hint of a blush.”

Waverly ignored her. “How’d you become a Wolf? You seem...normal.”

“Ah, I wondered when this question would come up,” Nicole said as she kicked a pebble. “I kinda got forced into it. I was a police officer before everything went down and...well, we had mandatory testing.”

“What happened to the cops who weren’t Immune?” Waverly asked, already knowing the answer. 

“Camps,” Nicole admitted softly. “I stayed to survive. I knew if I resisted they’d kill me and my loved ones.”

Waverly nodded. “That explains a lot.”

Nicole smiled again. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Like why you’re so sweet,” Waverly said with her own smirk.

She chuckled to herself when she saw Nicole trip on nothing. 

***

The temperature seemed to plummet overnight. 

When they woke up the next day, Nicole’s lips were blue and Waverly swore she could reach forward and snap her hair off at the ends. 

“You’re a stubborn ass,” Waverly said to her. She had set up the fire quickly and was heating up some water for tea. “Tonight we’re sharing sleeping bags.”

Waverly saw blue lips tilt up to a smirk and her cheeks heated enough for the both of them. 

“Don’t get any funny ideas.”

But Waverly was thinking of some funny ideas herself.

***

“You’re being a stubborn ass again,” Waverly lilted, already sliding into her sleeping bag. “Whatever, Nicole, we’ll just both freeze tonight then.”

Waverly glanced over her shoulder to where Wynonna was snuggling down into Eliza’s sleeping bag with her. It felt like it was even colder that night, and Nicole still hadn’t had all the feeling come back to her fingers.

“I’m fine here, Waves,” Nicole said as she folded her legs up into her jacket in an attempt to stay warm. 

“Should I be offended that I have to try this hard to get you in bed with me?” Waverly quipped, not missing the way the tips of Nicole’s ears turned red.

“Darlin’, you know that ain’t true,” Nicole said back, voice dropping even lower than their already hushed tones.

Waverly tried to maintain her composure. “Than get in.”

Nicole glanced up at Wynonna briefly before untucking herself from her cocoon and sliding herself into Waverly’s sleeping bag. Waverly had to turn on her side to give Nicole enough room to fit. They were definitely snug in there. Waverly blushed as she felt every curve of Nicole’s body slide against her own. 

She was shocked when she felt her warm breath on her cheek. She had expected Nicole to get in the other way so they were back to back. Once Nicole stopped wriggling around to get comfortable, she spoke up.

“There’s more space this way,” Nicole said matter of factly. “Is this okay?”

Waverly swallowed thickly and nodded once. “It’s fine.”

“Good,” Nicole said as she relaxed. 

Occasionally Waverly would feel Nicole shiver against her, but it faded after a bit and they both melded into each other. Waverly wasn’t sure how long she had slept for, but when she woke up, she was face to face with Nicole. 

Well...more like neck to face with their height difference. 

Either way, Nicole was still fast asleep with her arm over Waverly’s waist and her leg tucked tightly between Waverly’s thighs. She squeaked a little in surprise when she shifted and Nicole’s thigh pressed against her. Nicole just grumbled a little in her sleep and pulled Waverly closer. She had to admit, she was very comfortable. And despite the days and days of traveling, Nicole smelled...nice. Like campfire and...sweat.

Waverly blushed at the thought and hoped she didn’t smell too badly. Especially with the way Nicole was now snuggling her nose into the crown of her head.

She managed to drift off to sleep again, jolting away with Nicole sitting straight up, hand reaching for a weapon she didn’t have anymore. Waverly grabbed her shotgun, adrenaline coursing through her veins and chasing away the exhaustion. They sat there for a moment, staring into the darkness with sharp ears.

“I thought I heard something,” Nicole whispered.

They both sat in silence for a moment longer, neither of them breathing. Waverly relaxed after a few moments and Nicole’s shoulders slumped too.

“Sorry,” Nicole whispered. Waverly just shrugged and slid back down into the sleeping bag, Nicole following. They resumed their previous positions without thinking and Waverly had already started to drift back to sleep with Nicole cleared her throat. “Is this okay?”

Her fingers tapped a nervous beat on Waverly’s waist and she nodded against Nicole’s chest.

“It’s great.”

***

The next day as they walked, Waverly found herself drifting closer and closer to Nicole. Soon their arms brushed as they walked, fingers just barely ghosting each other with each step. And each tiny touch felt like a bolt of electricity to Waverly’s heart. 

“What did you do? Before?” Nicole asked her softly.

Waverly smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear. “Not much. Bartender. Student.”

“Seems like a little more than ‘not much’,” Nicole said, brushing her fingers along the palm of Waverly’s hand. 

“I was from a small town. Limited options,” Waverly said with a crinkle of her nose. “It sounds crazy but...it seems like my life didn’t become interesting until all this mess happened.”

“Doesn’t sound crazy,” Nicole said softly, eyes on her own feet as they walked. 

The whistling of a bullet brought them from their conversation and all four of them hit the ground. More bullets started to whizz over them and they crawled to cover behind a fallen log.

“Shit,” Waverly said, cocking her rifle. “Wolves?”

Wynonna shot towards the source of the bullets and a plasma bullet shattered the trunk of a tree next to them.

“Yep. Definitely fucking Wolves,” Wynonna said over the sound of bullets. “Movement activated bots from the sound of it. We’re stuck.”

Shapiro popped up over the fallen trunk to shoot, getting a couple of shots off before she screamed in pain. Waverly looked over and saw blood pouring from the top of Eliza’s shoulder.

“We’re surrounded,” Wynonna said, panic wavering her voice as Shapiro slid to the ground next to them, hand on her shoulder as blood poured from between her fingers. Wynonna pulled a first aid kit from her bag, hands shaking. “I got you, Shapiro. Suck it up. You’ll be fine.”

Eliza chuckled before her body seized in pain again.

“Give me a weapon,” Nicole said to Wynonna. “Let me help.”

“Fuck no, Wolf,” Wynonna said with a scoff as she pulled Shapiro’s jacket off her shoulder to try and patch her up. Eliza started to go pale and Waverly shook her head.

“Wynonna, give her a gun,” Waverly said. “She can help.”

“No,” Wynonna growled out, working frantically on Eliza. Nicole and Waverly looked at each other. They were dead. Waverly knew it. This was it.

“The only way out is if we run through the woods,” Waverly said to Nicole. “And it’s the only way we get Eliza out. But they’ll shoot us as soon as we run.”

Nicole looked over at Eliza then over her shoulder. “I have a plan.”

Waverly eyed her warily. “What’s that?”

Nicole shrugged off her jacket and put it around Waverly’s shoulders. She also took off her backpack and handed it to her. “There’s some supplies in there that might be useful,” Nicole said, pulling her beanie tighter onto her head. “Just toss the rest.”

“Why aren’t you keeping it,” Waverly said, stomach dropping as she hoped she didn’t guess the answer.

“I’ll run to the side and distract the bots. It’ll give you all enough time to get out of their range,” Nicole said firmly.

“No,” Waverly said firmly. “We’ll find another way.”

Nicole managed to smile. “Darlin’, you know there’s no other way.”

Waverly’s blood felt like ice and she reached for Nicole’s arm, holding tight. “What if I don’t want you to?”

“I have to, Waverly,” Nicole said a little sadly.

“I’ve barely gotten to know you,” Waverly tried pathetically, tears welling hot in her eyes.

Nicole leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. A gesture that felt intimate but so right for some reason. Nicole brushed their noses together and Waverly couldn’t hold back her sobs.

“In another life, I think I loved you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole whispered, kissing the corner of Waverly’s mouth.

Waverly sniffled and bundled her fists into the front of Nicole’s shirt. She could feel Nicole shivering, having shed her jacket, unwilling to let her go.

“Kiss for luck?” Nicole asked with that stupidly charming smile Waverly hated but loved.

Waverly didn’t bother answering, she just jolted forward and pressed their lips together. Her entire body flushed with heat, electricity sparking out of every pore in her body. And it all came rushing back in an overwhelming dump of memories. The library, the Dark Moon, everything.

Nicole pulled away with a gasp, like she was just coming out from being held under water. They blinked at each other for a moment before Waverly breathed a simple, “Wow.”

“Waves...I...remember,” Nicole whispered.

“Me too.”

Nicole looked around and sighed. “What does this look like to you?” 

“I think it might be the end of the world,” Waverly said.

“That makes sense. I always knew I’d be here with you,” Nicole quipped, dimples popping.

Waverly rolled her eyes and clamped down a smile. “Charmer.”

Nicole shrugged a single shoulder and looked back over her shoulder. “Guess I should go now.”

“Nicole,” Waverly said seriously. “Remember, if you die in a dream-”

“Yeah, and we remembered but we’re still here. Hey, maybe it won’t kill me this time,” Nicole said quickly. “I have to go.”

“Nicole-”

“I love you,” Nicole said kissing her quickly, but all her passion somehow poured into it anyways. With one final tip of her non-existent hat, Nicole was sprinting off in a different direction.

“Nicole!” Waverly screamed, not even thinking before taking off after her. Waverly saw Nicole get hit in the arm with a bullet and drop to the ground just was Waverly tackled her to the ground and everything went black.

***

There was no sound in the dark room. Gretta wasn’t even sure if she was breathing. Anger coursed through her veins, boiling under the skin. Her hands clenched into fists and she slammed her hand down on the table. Electricity sparked in her skin and the table cracked. 

The two hourglasses glowed brightly, shaking quickly before spilling onto the floor.

Gretta looked up at Sandy, eyes wide.

“Shit.”

***

Wynonna flipped through Nicole’s chart again, looking for something she might have missed the first dozen times she read it. But it was still all the same. Just a tall ass ginger with an allergy to a medicine Wynonna couldn’t pronounce. No hidden secrets or ways to get her and Waverly out of their comas.

“Alright, Haught, wake up so you can tell me whatever secrets you’re hiding,” Wynonna muttered, hooking the file back onto the end of Nicole’s bed. 

Looking up at Nicole, Wynonna frowned when she saw something red on the arm of Nicole’s gown. She inched forward, realizing the stain was spreading. 

“Holy. Shit,” Wynonna whispered as the bright red spot got bigger and bigger. Her heart monitor began to spike and Wynonna ran out to the hall and yelled. “Nurse!”

***

Waverly swore she heard movement in the barn. She looked out the window of their small farmhouse and squinted towards the barn. It looked normal...rolling French countryside behind it with the sun slowly coming up, framing the wooden structure in a glowing light. She noticed some movement in the window and froze, waiting to see if something else would appear. 

With a determined huff, Waverly grabbed her shotgun that was next to the door, wrapped her shawl around her arms and headed for the barn. It wasn’t that cold out, but it her simple cotton dress with capped sleeves and skirt down to her calves definitely didn’t do much to defend her from the early morning chill in the air.

Wynonna would probably kill her for going out here on her own, but she was sleeping off the whiskey from the night before and Waverly would be damned if she let a Nazi take refuge in their barn for more than a moment. 

They had started marching through town and Waverly was _not_ going to be complacent in their taking over her home. Her slippers slipped through the grass, still covered in morning dew as she went, more determined than ever. 

Her heart was hammering when she pushed open the barn door, shotgun tight in her hands.

 _“Bien tu peux sortir,”_ Waverly growled, eyes searching for a sign of movement. She saw a single hand pop up from behind the bales of hay. The hand was soon followed by a head with a helmet on it, brown eyes searching.

 _“Je ne suis pas allemand,”_ the other person managed to grit out in clunky French.

 _Vous êtes américain,_ Waverly said mostly to herself, shotgun still pointed at the soldier. “Come out.”

The soldier licked his lips and tipped his helmet back a little on his forehead, revealing a shock of red hair under the helmet.

“ _J'ai besoin-..._ ” they hesitated before continuing. “Do you speak English?”

“Yes,” Waverly said, eyeing the soldier carefully. She couldn’t see most of his body as it was hidden behind the haystack, but she noticed the slight quiver in his hand and how his face seemed abnormally pale.

“I’ve been shot,” the soldier said. “I can’t-...I need help. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Waverly lowered her shotgun a little, still cautious. “Why didn’t you go back to your camp to get help?”

The soldier wince a little when they shrugged. “I just...can’t.”

Waverly stared at the soldier a little longer before sighing and putting her shotgun down at her side. _“Je te crois._ I believe you.”

The soldier visibly relaxed and Waverly approached him carefully. When she rounded behind the bale of hay, she saw the arm of his uniform dark and sticky with blood. She gasped and got a little closer. He managed a small smile and shook his head.

“It’s not as bad as it looks, darlin’,” he drawled in a distinctly American accent. Waverly raised an eyebrow at him.

 _“Je m'appelle, Waverly,”_ she said lightly as she set the shotgun down and knelt next to the soldier. _“Et vous?”_

“Nicholas,” the soldier said, smile still in place. “Waverly’s a mighty pretty name.”

Waverly blushed and shook her head. “Just like an American. _Blesser et toujours flirter_.”

Nicholas frowned in confusion. “I didn’t catch that.”

“Good,” Waverly smiled. She pointed towards the hurt arm. “Can I take a look?”

“Um...sure,” he said with an embarrassed blush. He pulled the strap of his rifle up over his head, letting the weapon clatter to the floor. With one hand, he started to unbutton the front of his green uniform. His fingers fumbled with the thick fabric.

“Here,” Waverly said, batting his hand away gently and helping him undo the rest of the buttons. Her cheeks were bright red by the time she finished, clearing her throat and sitting back on her heels to create some distance between them. Wynonna would for sure kill her if she found out she was undressing a soldier in the barn.

Luckily there was a white shirt under his uniform and he shrugged off his jacket. Waverly saw the bright red blood surrounding a deep red wound and grimaced. It wasn’t the worst thing she’d seen, but would definitely require some help.

“Alright. Let me get you inside,” Waverly said standing up. Nicholas stood up, picking up his uniform jacket with his good arm and looked nervously towards the direction of the farmhouse.

“Your...husband won’t be mad?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot. 

“No husband. Just an ornery sister,” Waverly said. “And she can’t say anything when her room has basically been a hostel for traveling soldiers.”

Nicholas seemed to blush even deeper, something delicate about his features that made Waverly stop for a moment. He was tall, lanky to say the least, but had a soft of elegance about him that made Waverly want to stare at him. Study him.

Picking up her shotgun, Waverly led him into the house and gestured for him to sit at the kitchen table. He took his helmet off as soon as they crossed the threshold, holding it against his chest politely and revealing red hair cropped to his head. Long enough to look unruly but far from neat.

“I’ll get the supplies,” she said, quickly going to the restroom and grabbing the kit of medical supplies they kept on hand. There were too many incidents of being kicked by a cow or pecked by a particularly aggressive chicken to not keep such things. When Waverly was back in the kitchen, Nicholas had his ruined uniform hanging on the back of the chair and he was staring at the wound on his arm. She got a bowl of water and a cloth, placing it on the table next to them.

He glanced up at her as she sat across from him and cleared his throat. _“Je vous remercie.”_

 _”De rien,”_ Waverly answered as she opened the small kit. She took a wet cloth and began to carefully clean the wound, the pink stained water running down his arm as she went. “So. Will you tell me why you couldn’t go back to your own camp for help?”

Nicholas tilted his head, “Um...not really.”

“Why not?” Waverly asked.

“Might get me killed,” he said simply. “Couldn’t risk it.”

“So you deserted instead?” Waverly asked skeptically. “Seems just as dangerous.”

Nicholas shook his head. “Trust me. It’s not.”

Waverly took the time to look up at Nicholas. Really look up at him, and take in his features. Big, brown eyes, pink lips that curved prettily against his skin and the longest eyelashes she’d ever seen on a boy. He was...well quite frankly he was beautiful. But the way that his shoulders filled out his uniform and his toned arms were apparent despite the wound...well he was handsome too.

Waverly clamped down any sort of attraction she might be feeling, shaking her head to herself. She was being silly. There was no way she was going to let herself be enamored with a soldier that would be leaving in a few days. There was no point.

She cleared her throat and, satisfied with how clean the wound was, got up to fetch her sister’s liquor. She pulled the cork cap from the glass with a satisfying ‘ _pop_ ’ and looked at Nicholas apologetically.

“This is going to sting,” she said, placing one hand on his shoulder. He gave her a curt nod and she took it as her cue, pouring the liquor over the wound to clean it.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he cursed through gritted teeth. Immediately he looked up at Waverly. “My apologies, Miss. I know better than to curse in front of a lady.”

Waverly chuckled. “I told you before, call me Waverly. And I’ve heard worse from my sister. I’m not easily offended.”

Waverly winked at the soldier and he smiled at her as she put the cork back in the bottle.

“Okay, I’m going to sew up the wound and you’ll be good as new,” she said pulling a needle and thread from the kit. “Feel free to have some of the liquor if it’ll keep you quiet.”

Nicholas nodded and immediately reached for the bottle. He pulled the cork off with his teeth and took a long swig from the bottle. Waverly might be offended if she wasn’t so intrigued. She was overcome by the desire to run her hands through Nicholas’ hair, even if it looked like he hadn’t bathed in a while.

“How long have you been injured?” Waverly asked.

“A few days now,” he answered, setting the bottle back on the table. “It took me a few days to find any sort of civilization.”

Waverly hummed as she began to sew the wound shut. “You’re lucky it doesn’t look infected.”

“I tried to keep it clean,” Nicholas explained.

Waverly worked in silence for a moment before she looked back at the soldier, curiosity getting the better of her. “How long have you been over here?”

“In Europe? About a year now,” he said with a proud smile. “Still managed to keep breathing.”

“But not keep yourself uninjured,” Waverly teased.

Nicholas’ voice dropped even lower. “It’s worth it if it means having met you.”

Waverly blushed and shook her head, hoping it wasn’t apparent she was trying to stop a smile from growing on her face.

“ _Américain ridicule,_ she muttered. “I bet you have a girl in every village.”

Nicholas shook his head. “None that seemed to matter much. But I feel like that might change soon.”

Waverly scoffed as she finished the stitches. “I’m sure that’s what you say to all the girls.”

“Nah, just you so far,” he said before looking down at his arm. “Looks good.”

“I expect you’ll be wanting to stay here for a few days,” Waverly said. Really, she just didn’t want to see Nicholas leave. He was handsome and seemed kind. And they didn’t have many interesting things happen far out here in the countryside. Just the idea of a visitor was thrilling. Let alone a cute one.

“Well, if you’re offering,” Nicholas said. “At least until I can figure out where to go.”

Waverly nodded. “As long as you pull your weight, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“Anything you want,” Nicholas said easily.

“You say that now,” Waverly said with a smirk. “Wait until I get you working.”

***

Waverly had made a point to tell Wynonna that Nicholas was a strictly hands off situation. At first, Wynonna seemed offended, but then admitted Waverly needed some fun on the side. An implication that offended Waverly completely. It wasn’t as if she was _saving_ Nicholas for herself. She just...well she thought maybe he could fancy her. And Waverly really fancied him.

That was part of the reason why Nicholas was given easy tasks. Feeding chickens, milking cows...things that he could do with his injured arm. He insisted on staying out in the barn, despite Waverly insisting that there was plenty of room in the sitting room for him near the hearth. But he was determined to stay outdoors.

The few days that he had been there were...interesting. Admittedly, Waverly let her eyes linger on him and she thought of him at night sometimes. The days were getting hotter and she would watch the sweat roll down his face and...although she hoped he would take off his shirt, he never did. Much to her disappointment. 

Nicholas was always very respectful despite his flirting. He never made Waverly feel uncomfortable and never flirted with Wynonna. Much to her sister’s chagrin and her own delight. There was one thing that Waverly wanted though, more than anything. And that was to spend more time with him. Just him.

Usually for dinner, Waverly would wait for Nicholas to come out of the barn on his own after work. But today she decided to be more...proactive about it. She picked up his plate and a glass of wine before heading into the barn. She pushed open the door without thinking and froze.

In the faint light coming through the barn windows, she saw Nicholas with his shirt off, looking just as shocked to see Waverly. Except instead of the toned physique of a man she was expecting, Waverly saw the distinct shape of breasts, the smooth plane of their stomach flaring out into womanly hips. It was the body of a woman, no doubt.

“ _Oh mon Dieu._ ” Waverly breathed. 

Nicholas quickly covered himself with his shirt, face bright red as he stuttered. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“Then it’s not-...then you don’t have breasts?” Waverly asked a little skeptically. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Nicholas turned his back and quickly slipped their shirt over their head before turning back around. They looked pale, even paler than when Waverly had found them bleeding in her barn. 

“I’ll leave,” Nicholas muttered, avoiding her gaze and already reaching for their belongings. “I’ll be gone before you know it.

It was clear that Nicholas was terrified. Worried about being caught by Waverly. She felt nothing but sympathy and shook her head.

“I’m not upset,” she assured him. “Just...confused.”

Waverly watched as Nicholas visibly swallowed, unable to meet her gaze. “I’ll just...go.”

Nicholas grabbed their pack and grimaced in pain as they threw it over the shoulder of their injured arm. In a flash they were trying to get past Waverly towards the door but she stopped them, hand on their chest.

“Please, don’t,” Waverly said softly. She looked up at them and noticed how close Nicholas was. Their breathing was coming in pants and Waverly could feel the rapid beating of their heart through their chest. “Please don’t leave.”

Nicholas stared at her for a moment before nodding, letting their pack fall to the ground. Waverly stayed like that for a moment, her hand still on Nicholas’ chest, her fingers playing over the rough fabric of their uniform. Waverly had never stood so close to them before and they smelled...so good. Like baked vanilla. She wanted to lean forward and take it all in, but she managed to keep herself in check. Her head felt light like when she drank too much wine at dinner and she wanted to fall into Nicholas’ deep brown eyes and-

Nicholas cleared their throat, arms crossing tightly over their chest and forcing Waverly to move her hand away.

 _”Pardon,_ sorry,” Waverly said quickly, arms tight at her sides.

“It’s okay...I just-” Nicholas frowned. “You’re not...upset? You don’t hate me?”

Waverly shook her head. “I mean, to be honest I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on.”

Nicholas ran a hand through their short hair and made it stick up at odd angles. “Well...I can...explain. If you want.”

“Please,” Waverly said, eyes pleading. “I want to know.”

With a lick of their lips, Nicholas took a deep breath. “I am...a woman,” she said, voice wavering. “I just...pretended to be a man so that I could join the army.”

Waverly nodded, taking the information in. “Is that why you couldn’t tell your company that you were injured?”

“Yeah,” Nicholas confirmed. “I was worried they’d find out I-...well I’ve been binding my-...breasts. And I knew if they made me take my shirt off…”

“You’d be done,” Waverly finished for her. “So...I’m guessing your true name isn’t Nicholas?”

“Nicole,” she said with a small smile, “Nice to...re-meet you.”

Waverly smiled and cautiously reached for Nicole’s hand. “I’m sorry you’ve been hiding for so long.”

Nicole shrugged. “I’ve...kinda been hiding in one way or another my whole life.” Waverly squeezed her hand and Nicole looked...baffled to say the least. “You’re not...disgusted by me?”

Waverly shook her head, heard breaking a little bit. “You’re still the same handsome and kind person who wandered into my barn a week ago...right?”

Nicole tilted her head and smiled. “I like to think so.”

“Then how could I be?” Waverly said softly. Nicole squeezed Waverly’s hand and she patted herself on the back for the light blush across her cheeks. 

_”Merci,”_ Nicole said in her stilted French accent that made Waverly sigh. 

“Now, I do believe your dinner is getting cold,” Waverly pointed out. Nicholas chuckled and nodded. 

“Join me?”

“It’d be my honor.”

***

Dinner was nice and Waverly wasn’t afraid to admit she still wanted to get as close to Nicole as possible. She wanted to spend as much time with her as she could before she inevitably moved on.

“Nicole,” Waverly said when she found her perfect opportunity. Nicole was outside feeding the chickens, scattering the feed around the pen when Waverly leaned onto the fence. “Would you like to go into town with me?”

“Um, sure,” Nicole said with a smile. “What are you doing there?”

“Dropping off some eggs...getting some supplies,” Waverly said vaguely. 

Nicole just nodded and pushed some of her hair back from her face. “I’d love to accompany a lady into town.”

Waverly blushed and smiled. “I don’t need to be accompanied, thank you very much,” she teased. “Especially by an American.”

Nicole feigned hurt and rested her elbows on the fence next to Waverly, their faces close. “And to think I was going to offer to take you back with me.”

“You were going to take me to America with you?” Waverly asked, eyebrow raised. “I doubt that.”

“I was,” Nicole said. “If you wanted. But since you think I couldn’t protect you.”

“I was just saying, I don’t need your protection,” Waverly said airly. “Now come on, _soldat_ , let’s go.” 

The wagon ride into town was fairly quiet. Nicole flirted like she always did and Waverly would playfully push back her advances. Even if both of them knew Waverly was a little more than interested. She just had to pretend like she wasn’t. Until it was abundantly clear she was.

They went and sold some eggs to the baker and picked up some flour and cow feed. They were on their way back to the farmhouse as they passed a dance hall, music blaring from it. Waverly hesitated and looked over at Nicole. 

“What do you think?” she asked, tilting her head towards the hall. Nicole looked at Waverly with disbelief for a moment before chuckling.

“I mean...if you want?” she said with a shrug.

Waverly blushed. “You don’t want to dance? With me?”

“Of course I do,” Nicole said quickly. “I just...have never been much for dancing. And I always hated dancing with boys.”

Waverly tugged the front of Nicole’s uniform jacket. “Well now you’re not dancing with boys. You’re dancing with me.”

Nicole smiled. “Then sure.”

They tied up the wagon outside and wandered carefully into the dance hall, Nicole behind Waverly. She reached back and tugged Nicole along. The live band played on the stage and young people were dancing in the middle of the floor. There was a bar on one side and tables littered all around the edges. Waverly felt a little underdressed in the situation but she could feel the heat of Nicole’s body against her back and suddenly she felt okay.

“Want to dance, Waves?” Nicole whispered in her ear. Waverly shivered at the sensation of her hot breath against the shell of her ear and hummed.

“Yeah.”

As soon as they stepped onto the dance floor, the song changed to a slower tune. Waverly’s heart fluttered in her chest as Nicole put a hand on her waist, the other taking Waverly’s hand in her own. 

“Is this okay?” Nicole asked. Before the question was even done, Waverly was nodding her head and standing closer to Nicole. She put her free arm over Nicole’s shoulder and smiled up at her brightly

The song was slow but...odd. Not like anything Waverly had ever heard before.

_There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost. But you'll never see the end of the road, while you're traveling with me-_

“Waverly,” Nicole said softly, head ducking a little to get closer to her. Waverly felt her head get light at the proximity and whispered back.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever...met someone and known instantly in your heart that they meant something to you?” Nicole asked.

Waverly thought for a moment, the whole moment feeling...familiar.

“I...yeah,” she said as they swayed to the beat. “I think I might know something about that.”

“This is going to sound loony,” Nicole started as she licked her lips. “But I think I’ve loved you before.”

Waverly blushed deeply, stepping closer to the taller woman. “I...feel like I’ve loved you before too.”

Nicole smiled briefly, but shook her head. “What does this mean?”

“I’m...not sure,” Waverly answered.

_Hey now, hey now. Don't dream it's over. Hey now, hey now. When the world comes in-_

“Waverly,” Nicole said, their faces now so close that their noses brushed. “Would it be okay if I kissed you?”

“Please,” Waverly said all too quickly. 

Though Nicole didn’t seem to mind, because her lips soon descended onto Waverly’s, sparks erupting through her body. She gasped, bringing herself even closer to Nicole so that their bodies were fully pressed together. It wasn’t proper and she was sure there would be a rumor about her being easy in town the next day, but Waverly didn’t care much. Not when Nicole’s kisses made it feel like fire was prickling all over her skin.

Their lips didn’t part, but Nicole said. “Waves, I remember.”

Waverly saw another life behind her eyelids. Another version of herself and of Nicole. They were in love and they were in trouble. This was all...a trick.

“I remember too,” Waverly said as it flooded back to her. That and dread. And she saw images that she hadn’t lived before. Of Nicole in a hospital bed with an injured arm...of an hourglass slowly counting down. “We’re running out of time.”

“I know,” Nicole said. Their eyes finally opened, foreheads close as the grasped onto each other, afraid to let go. “And I know what I have to do now.”

Waverly shook her head, already afraid of what Nicole was going to say. “No.”

“Waverly. It’ll be fine,” Nicole reassured her. “It’s the only choice we have.”

_Now I'm walking again to the beat of a drum. And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart-_

Waverly shook her head violently, holding Nicole tighter. “No,” she said, voice thick with tears. “There has to be another way.”

“There’s not,” Nicole said with a small smile on her face despite the fear that played behind her eyes. “It’s the only way.”

“Stop.”

“It’ll be okay.”

“Stop it, Nicole!” Waverly said, fist feebly pounding on Nicole’s chest. “You don’t have to die.”

Nicole smiled and shook her head. “Waverly. I would fall in love with you over and over again. Whether it’s here or...in the real world...whatever that is anymore. Or in whatever universe they throw us into next,” Nicole said, eyes sparkling, “I’ll fall in love with you every single time. Even if you don’t love me.” 

Waverly sniffled, unable to keep the tears from rolling down her face as she choked out. “I can’t imagine ever not loving you.”

“Darlin’, that’s all I needed to hear,” Nicole said, tilted charming smile on her face. Waverly could hear the raid siren. She heard the planes overhead, the shouting of the people around them and on the street. She could feel the ground shaking as Nicole leaned forward and kissed her hard. It was sweet and firm and _final_.

“I love you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole said before kissing her one last time. “Never forget that.”

“Nicole!”

Nicole pulled away and Waverly grasped onto her uniform as long as she could. But she slipped from her fingers and Nicole ran outside of the dance hall. She looked back at Waverly just as the whistling of a bomb got louder and a blinding flash of heat burned Waverly’s face. And everything went black as the song echoed in Waverly’s mind.

_They come, they come, to build a wall between us. We know they won't win. Don't let them win. Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter for chapter updates and links to early chapters!](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz/status/1068159233974104064)


	14. and i was in the darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> So, I guess it's time to say goodbye to this little fic. Thank you to each and every one of you who stuck with me through this crazy fic of mine. Really, it was my excuse to write as many AUs as possible in one fic. And I could have kept going and going but I had to draw a line somewhere. So I wanted to say thank you again. Thank you for all the wonderful comments and kudos and just for clicking on it and reading. This last one is for you!
> 
> As always, special shout out to [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/moxiepurzell) and [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd) for being my awesome betas.

_And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat_  
_I tried to find the sound_  
_But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness,_  
_So darkness I became_  
_\- Florence + the Machine_

Waverly reappeared in the library, reaching forward, grabbing for someone who wasn’t there. She blinked, hand still grasping in front of her. Slowly she pulled her fingers back into a fist and stood there as she took a gulping, panicked breath. 

She looked around and heard only the deafening silence of the empty library. Even the fire was out, embers glowing bright in the mound of ashes. 

Waverly was worried to even move, worried the creaking of her bones might be too loud for the space. She swore the sound of her heart beating was echoing through the cavernous shelves of the library. 

“No,” she whispered, a vague memory flitting through her mind. Of...fire. Nicole disappearing into it. She spoke a little louder. “Nicole!”

Only her own echo answered her. 

“Oh god,” Waverly said, hands over her mouth as an empty hunger gnawed at her chest. Something that felt like...the greatest loneliness she’d ever felt had taken residence in her chest. 

Nicole was...gone. 

Waverly felt her ribs crack open and a scream built up in the back of her throat as everything went black. 

***

Wynonna was roused from her apathetic consideration of the vending machine offerings by the rapid beeping just down the hall. She turned and saw nurses running into Nicole’s room and cursed to herself. 

“Goddammit, Haught Sauce,” she said as she rushed to Nicole’s room. She peered in at the scene. Nurses all around her, checking out machines and doing tests on her. A lot of chatter that Wynonna wouldn’t even begin to understand. One of the nurses brought over the defibrillator just as someone else shouted, “We’re losing her!”

Wynonna’s heart stopped and she felt panic for a woman she didn’t even know. Not really. She knew the idea of her but their relationship hadn’t managed to go beyond Wynonna staring at her while she slept. For obvious reason. But either way, Wynonna felt that tug of worry and guilt in her stomach. Guilt for not being able to do anything. She was the heir. Her job was to help people. To fix things. And here she was twiddling her thumbs while someone was in peril.

She could see the bandage around Nicole’s arm through the surge of nurses. The mysterious wound that had appeared not that long ago. If something was happening in a dream, it happened to her in real life. And now she was dying. Had she...died in the dream?

What about Waverly?

If Nicole had died in the dream...did Waverly-...

“Shit,” Wynonna whispered to herself as she ducked out of the room and ran towards her sister’s room.

***

They stared at the taller hourglass, a long crack running up along the edge as a small fire raged inside the top bulb. The flames licked the edges, turning the glass a smoky black. The fire died and a few of the sand grains managed to stay in the top, slowly trickling down into the almost filled lower part of the hourglass.

A cackle bubbled up in Gretta’s throat and she stared gleefully over at the man who looked the vaguest hint of impressed.

“Should have known stupid Officer Haught would sacrifice herself for the Earp,” Gretta said. “That love struck fool just made our job so much easier.”

The man hummed and they both watched the smaller hourglass shift. The metal twisted and turned, growing more elaborate and tarnished. 

“It’s time,” the man announced. “Shall we?”

“Damn straight, Sandy,” Gretta said, standing just that little bit taller. “Let’s go get our girl.”

***

The first thing Waverly noticed was...blinding light. She quickly shut her eyes, groaning only to discover her throat was sore and dry. She froze for a moment, wondering what horrendous world she had been put in now. What would would she be forced to find herself in? To fight her way out of? To find Nicole and love Nicole? To make Nicole love her?

There was a rhythmic beeping and suddenly she realized…

She was awake. She wasn’t in a dream world anymore. There was no way she was still asleep if she remembered Nicole.

Nothing else mattered and she forced her eyes open against the harsh light. Every bone and muscle in her body groaned and protested as she attempted to sit up. She could barely push herself up with her arms, they were so weak.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the depressing room, Jeremy sleeping in the corner. She was in the hospital. In the real world. Whatever that meant anymore. But Nicole she-

Waverly shut her eyes again and it all came flooding back. Nicole caught in the blast. Nicole not being in the library. Panic shot through her veins and she knew she had to find Nicole. She had to be in this hospital somewhere and Waverly was going to find her. She began to pull the tape and IV from her arm, heart monitor spiking before she ripped the connector from her chest.

 

“Waverly!” Wynonna shouted as she came into the hospital room, eyes wild. Waverly stared at her for a moment before trying to swing her legs out of the hospital bed. “Waverly, stop.”

Waverly shook her head, even as Wynonna’s arms surrounded her in a hug. Jeremy was awake now, going on and on about the monitors and the effect of the coma on Waverly’s body, basically listing all the reasons she should just be lying back at the moment and letting the nurses handle things.

“N-Nicole,” Waverly tried, her voice sore and dry to the point that she was barely understandable. “I need...to find-”

“Ssh, baby girl,” Wynonna said, holding Waverly’s head between her hands. Wynonna looked over at Jeremy and nodded towards the door before she turned back to Waverly. “We’re just going to wait here until the nurse comes and helps you out. Okay?”

Waverly shook her head, neck stiff and head light. “I need to find her.”

She attempted to push Wynonna off of her and she slid out of the hospital bed. Her legs buckled almost immediately as she stepped onto the floor, body crashing into the ground. She growled in frustration and tried to pull herself up with the edge of the bed. Wynonna put her arm under Waverly’s and helped pull her from the ground.

“Waverly, stop it,” Wynonna said a little harshly. “You’re...coming out of your coma. You need to rest-”

“I need to find Nicole!” Waverly cried, frustrated tears of worry already gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Do you know who Nicole is?”

Wynonna sighed and Waverly leaned against the edge of her bed, painful pins and needles coursing through her legs.

“Yes, I know Nicole,” Wynonna admitted as Jeremy came back in with a nurse. Waverly shook her head. 

“Is she here? Take me to her,” Waverly said, gripping the front of Wynonna’s shirt. “Please!”

Wynonna had an unreadable expression on her face. It looked like a mix of fear and regret and it made Waverly want to shake the truth out of her. 

“Ma’am,” the nurse said, cautiously approaching Waverly. “I have to ask that you get back in your bed so we can properly treat you-”

“Nicole Haught,” Waverly said. “I need to see Nicole Haught.”

“Ma’am-”

“I will not be getting back into this bed until I see her,” Waverly croaked, hating the tears she could feel rolling down her cheeks. Her throat still burned and every inch of her body was screaming for rest but she couldn’t. Not when Nicole could be- “I need to see her.”

Wynonna and the nurse looked at each other and Wynonna shook her head. “I’ll get her back in bed. Can you just give us a moment?”

“I shouldn’t-”

“Please,” Wynonna gritted out. Waverly wondered if she was just as frustrated as Waverly or if it was hard for her to be so polite.

The nurse nodded curtly and eyed them both warily before leaving the room. They all stood in silence for a moment before Wynonna gestured for Jeremy to help her as she put an arm around Waverly’s frame.

“She’s not looking great, baby girl,” Wynonna admitted softly. “But I’ll take you to see Haught. Okay?”

Waverly sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

Maybe she wasn’t looking great. But Nicole was alive. Alive and Waverly needed to see her. More than she needed air. Waverly let Wynonna and Jeremy loop their arms around her and help her shuffle out of the room. Her bare feet were freezing on the cold linoleum floor but she just needed to see Nicole. To touch her. 

They made it down a couple of halls before Wynonna stopped her in front of a room. Waverly peered through the window and the panic started to rush through her again. Nicole was lying lifeless on the hospital bed, doctor beside her as a nurse used a defibrillator. The line of her heart monitor was flat.

“No,” Waverly whispered. “No no no no no.”

The cavernous emptiness behind her ribs seemed to open up again and she felt her guts twist as she retched up nothing. Her veins ran cold and she put her hand on the glass of the window. Ice began to form under her hand, curling and moving around her hand as she looked into the room helplessly.

“What the fuck?” Wynonna said, awed. 

Waverly dropped her hand from the glass, the outline of her hand still apparent in the frost she had left there. With a previously unknown strength, Waverly pushed her way past Wynonna and into the room. 

“Hey! Waves!”

Wynonna and Jeremy rushed in after her.

One of the nurses turned and looked at her with a frown. “Ma’am, you can’t be here. I have to ask you all to leave.”

Waverly didn’t even hear him, she just stared at Nicole. She was seeing her in the flesh for the first time. She had lived lifetimes with her and still had never really touched her. She began to move forward towards Nicole, hand outstretched. She felt a surge of electricity through her veins and the nurse just stared at her, mouth agape.

“Waverly, what the hell are you doing?” Wynonna said from behind her. 

Waverly looked at her hand and saw a soft glow coming from her skin, surrounding her entire body.

“I need to save her,” Waverly said, not quite sure how she was doing this. Or even how she planned on saving her. She just knew she had to.

Turning back to Nicole, the nurse kept using the defibrillator and CPR on her as Waverly approached. But the doctor and the other nurses backed away, just looking at Waverly in shock and wonderment. Waverly got to the side of Nicole’s bed and placed her hand over hers. Her hand was cold and stiff, skin pale.

“Nicole,” Waverly whispered, leaning closer to her face. “I’m right here, baby.”

The nurse doing CPR stopped and Waverly leaned closer to Nicole’s face, brushing some hair away. Her skin was just as soft in real life as it had been in her dreams. In all of them. Her love lay here in front of her, dying, and Waverly leaned down to kiss her lips softly. 

There was a warmth moving through her body, sparking like embers on a stove as she cupped Nicole’s cheek. She pulled away slightly, but still, nothing. She had to save Nicole. Julian, her father, had told her a few things before he went up into the garden. He told her she could heal but to use it cautiously.

If there was ever a time to use that power, it was now.

Waverly put both of her hands on Nicole’s chest and concentrated. 

She didn’t know what she was doing, not really. There had been no real opportunity for her to try out her powers. But she had to try. She shut her eyes tightly and concentrated on the beating of her own heart, of the blood flowing through her veins and Nicole’s. She thought of Nicole, waking up. Sitting up and kissing Waverly senseless. They could beat this...whatever it was...together. They could beat anything together, Waverly was sure of it.

She felt warmth spreading through her arms and hands, her heartbeat amplified in her veins and ears. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she knew it would work. It had to.

There was a buildup. A long buildup of vibrations on her skin. Waverly struggled to hold onto it for as long as possible. To the power moving through her body and hands. She opened her eyes and saw Nicole’s body starting to glow the same way hers was. 

“It’s working,” Waverly said, “It has to be.”

The power became too much, building to a crescendo until it forced her hands away from Nicole’s body, severing their connection. Waverly stumbled back for a moment, blinking as the power ebbed out of her. She looked at Nicole, expecting her to move or sigh or...something. But there was nothing. Wynonna put her hand on Waverly’s back as she came to the realization that she failed. 

“No.”

When she came to the realization that Nicole was dead.

“Waverly, come on, you tried-”

“No!” Waverly said, pushing Wynonna’s hand away. She put her hands back on Nicole’s chest, desperation flooding her. She tried to do it again, to make the power flow through her but she couldn’t. Tears of frustration began to flow down her cheeks and she yelled. “No! Nicole! You can’t die!”

“Baby girl-”

“She can’t die!”

Waverly was sure her heart had cracked open, filling her chest with all her regrets. The hungry gnawing in her stomach craved something. It craved more. It craved revenge. There was a power crawling through Waverly’s veins that she had never felt before. There had been plenty of times Waverly felt something close to this...but never anything as huge and powerful.

She looked down at her hands, veins pulsing with something dark. And the longer the flat tone of the heart rate monitor went on, the more powerful the feeling became.

It was battling with the gut wrenching sadness in her stomach. The overwhelming feeling of doom and despair that was expanding in her chest. She was in so much distress she could hardly even cry.

She leaned down and pressed her forehead to Nicole’s, her skin cold. She cupped Nicole’s cheek with her hand and let out a shuddery sigh, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she choked back a sob. 

“Nicole,” she whispered. “Come back to me. Please. You weren’t supposed to leave me alone. You can’t-”

She sniffled, eyes closing tightly as she placed a soft kiss to Nicole’s unresponsive lips.

“You can’t leave me,” she said pathetically.

“Hello, Earps.”

Waverly turned around and Gretta was standing there in a long black robe, a tall, half dead looking man besides her. 

Gretta slowly walked over to Waverly, a wide smile on her face as she looked down at Nicole. A few of the nurses scrambled from the room as Wynonna raised Peacemaker towards Gretta.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Wynonna growled.

Gretta shrugged. “Just came to pay our respects to the dear, late Officer Haught.”

The sadness was replaced as the anger flared again and Waverly felt what felt like...energy gathering in her hand. She threw it at Gretta without thinking, but the woman disappeared and the ball of black energy hit the wall instead, leaving it looking like someone had thrown a boulder at it. 

Wynonna looked from the wall to Waverly, wide eyed. “Holy shit!”

Gretta reappeared a couple of feet away from Waverly, who could feel the power growing stronger in her. It was intoxicating. 

“You did this,” Waverly gritted out. “You’re the one that killed her.”

She began to slowly approach Gretta and the man, both standing and looking at her with grins on their faces. The man frowned and walked closer to Waverly, the smile slowly crawling up onto his cheeks.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure you’re the one that killed dear old Nicole,” he said, voice thin and raspy like paper in a windstorm. “She killed herself...for you.”

The anger flared up again and Waverly felt what could only be described as evil crawl through her veins. The sick, twisted feeling wouldn’t leave her gut and she felt the energy gathering in her hands again.

“Shut up.”

“You were selfish and made her do it,” the man said. “She wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for you.”

“Shut up it’s not true,” Waverly muttered.

“You let her die-”

“I said, shut up!” Waverly yelled. The energy surged through her and she felt a pressure between her shoulder blades, as the room echoed with shocked gasps and cries. She looked up and saw wings, wide and white, sprouted from her back. An energy pumped through her body, making her feel invincible. 

She saw a fear in Gretta and the man’s eyes that wasn’t there before. But also something swimming in them that looked vaguely...triumphant. And as the power got stronger, Waverly felt herself losing control. It was like a blackness was taking over her vision and she tried to maintain control.

But the last thing she remembered was Gretta practically cackling before something took over and Waverly was gone.

***

“Holy mother of fucking Earp angel,” Wynonna breathed out as she watched the wide wings sprout form Waverly’s back. She had brief flashbacks to Charlie er...Julian and when he revealed he was an angel. And...you know...Waverly’s father. She wondered what it would have been like to fuck with those things all in the way. Nicole was going to be in for a wild ride. 

Wynonna grimaced at the thought and shook her head. She would be grossed out later. Now was not the time. Right now, her baby sister was standing in the middle of a hospital room with fucking angel wings coming out of her back. So much for being subtle. Though, she figured, that wasn’t really the Earp way. 

The doctor was cowering in the corner of the room and the other nurses had managed to make it out of the room before this whole supernatural fiasco really got out of control.

Then, with a crackle of energy throughout the room, the overhead lights flickered. The hospital equipment shorted out and re-started, alarms blaring. Wynonna frowned, Peacemaker still trained on Gretta even if she knew it was an empty threat since that bitch Gretta seemed to have some kind of teleportation power. 

The hairs on Wynonna’s arm stood up with the energy in the small hospital room and she looked back at Waverly just in time to a blackness spread from the bottom of her wings to the top. Like cotton being dipped in ink. She saw blackness spread through Waverly’s veins, her eyes going black for a moment, and she thought back to Mictian.

“Fuck,” Wynonna whispered. 

“Your love is dead,” the man said. “And you killed her. Now look at you.”

Waverly let out a loud, blood curdling scream that pierced the air, and all the windows in the hospital room were blown out. Wynonna put her arm in front of her face to guard herself from the flying glass, and when she pulled it back down Waverly, Gretta and the man were gone.

“Fuck!” Wynonna said, quickly turning to Jeremy. “What the fuck?!”

“The stairs,” Jeremy said, eyes wide. “They must be going to the stairs. Waverly turned and-”

“Hey! Waverly did not turn,” Wynonna insisted. “Maybe she got all...dark and shit like a bad plot twist in Buffy but she hasn’t turned. Do you hear me? She’s still in there.”

“You’re right,” Jeremy said, swallowing thickly with a quick nod. “She’s still in there but...she might not be for long. She watched Nicole die.”

Wynonna turned and looked at the lifeless body in the bed, something heavy settling in her stomach. She walked over to the redhead and her heart ached for the woman that she barely knew but seemed to mean more than life to her sister.

“Sorry, Haugh-...Nicole,” Wynonna said softly. “I don’t know what you did in there but...I have a feeling you did it to save my sister. And we’ll get those bastards who did this to you. Don’t worry.”

“Wynonna,” Jeremy said softly. “We should go to the stairs.”

Wynonna nodded and turned away from the hospital bed. “Call Dolls. We got some witchy ass to kick.”

***

Waverly felt a chill in the air hit her skin. She looked around and saw that she was in the woods. Familiar woods. But Gretta and the man were in front of her the next second and that deep, twisted evil inside of her took hold again.

They killed Nicole. 

They tried to ruin her life and they killed Nicole.

Waverly kept seeing her lifeless body on the hospital bed but she couldn’t even be sad. She just felt herself get angrier and with the anger came an intoxicating power that filled her to the brim. She could feel it seeping through every cell in her body and she felt like she could do anything.

“Earp,” Gretta said looking oddly triumphant.

Waverly’s anger flared even more.

“You did this,” she said, voice deep and echoey and...not like her own at all. She could hardly recognize it.

“We did, and we did it so you could become who you were meant to be,” the man said with a sickly smile. He raised his hand, long bony finger pointing towards Waverly. “And now look at you. You’re beautiful.”

Waverly paused and looked down at her hands. Her veins were pulsing with power and a darkness running through them that wasn’t there before. She didn’t like it, but at the same time...she loved it. She loved how it felt. How it tasted.

“You killed Nicole,” Waverly said flatly. 

“We killed her to make you stronger,” Gretta said. “To give you the power that is your birthright.”

The anger made her powers strengthen and she felt the power pulse out of her, knocking Gretta and the man back a few steps.

“But you can save her, you know,” the man said. “You just need to go into the garden and get her.”

He made a wide gesture towards the stairs and Waverly’s eyes followed.

“Waverly, you’re a dark angel now. You can go in and get her. Bring her back,” Gretta said, whispering conspiratorially. 

“Why should I trust you?” Waverly asked, eyes narrowing.

“Waverly!” a voice yelled behind her.

She turned quickly, throwing her hand out at the potential threat. A surge of energy came from her palm and gouged a crater in the ground, trees creaking around them. 

“What the fuck, Waves!” Wynonna yelled, helping Jeremy from the ground where he had thrown himself to avoid Waverly’s attack. 

A twinge of regret managed to make its way to her mind through the darkness crawling through her, but it was gone as soon as it was there.

“Stay out of my way,” she gritted out, hands clasping at her sides.

“Waverly, stop,” Jeremy tried again. “Don’t listen to them! They’re trying to get you to open the garden-”

“Hush!” the man said. He threw a fistul of sparkling sand at Jeremy, his eyes growing heavy as it settled over him, before he fell back to the ground, asleep.

Gunshots rang out in the air and Gretta’s shoulder jerked back, hit. Her eyes hardened as she looked at Wynonna.

“Shoot as you wish, Earp,” she snarled. “I’ve taken your sister just as you took mine.”

“I didn’t kill Mattie. And you sure as hell aren’t taking Waverly,” Wynonna said with another shot, hitting her in the knee and making Gretta fall to the ground.

Overhead, the sky began to darken and clouds passed over the moon. Waverly looked up and saw red begin to streak the moon like blood, the wind getting stronger and whistling through the trees. Everyone was looking up, mesmerized by the change.

“The Dark Moon,” the man whispered. “It’s time.”

“Go on, Waverly,” Gretta said, standing up carefully despite her wounds. “Go get your lover. It’s time.”

“Don’t listen to this bitch, Waves,” Wynonna said. 

“Enough!” Waverly said, wings spreading wide and casting everyone in shadow. Her eyes glowed dark and she slowly walked up to the man and Gretta. “I know what you want,” she said. “And you’re not going to get it.”

Waverly’s hand shot out and closed around the man’s throat, his eyes bulging from his head in shock. Another shot rang out and Gretta’s head jerked back, a perfect circle from Peacemaker’s bullet in the middle of her skull, blood oozing from it as she collapsed to the ground. Waverly didn’t even have to squeeze. It was like the power in her veins was flowing through her arm. The man’s face was beginning to turn purple, his hands clawing at her hand weakening with each second.

“See you in hell,” Waverly said as his grip slacked, entire body turning to sand and blowing away into the wind.

Waverly stood there for a moment, the air still around them as she stared at the sand slipping through her fingers. 

“Baby girl,” Wynonna said from behind her. Waverly turned around just as Jeremy jolted awake, looking around frantically. “Baby girl...come on, you can cut out this evil shit now. Shouldn’t you have gone through this goth phase in high school?”

Waverly looked at her sister and wondered at how oddly...freeing it was to feel nothing. To just feel her powers pumping through her body. She looked back at the stairs and shook her head.

“I have to go get Nicole,” Waverly said, determination behind her words. “I have to get her back.”

“Waverly,” Wynonna tried. “She’s...gone.”

“I can get her back,” Waverly insisted. “And I will.”

“You can’t go in there,” Jeremy said. “We don’t even know if you can come out a-a-and if you bring down the protection to get in...other things can get in too.”

“That’s why we have the heir,” Waverly said looking at her sister. “She’s here to protect the gate. And she will.”

Waverly’s wings folded into her back as she looked up at the stairs. There wasn’t any way anyone could stop her. She was going in no matter what. Nicole was in there because of her. She was just a pawn in the game to get Waverly to do someone else’s bidding, and she refused to stand by and let it happen.

Waverly put her hand against the invisible barrier around the stairs and it cracked to admit her, spreading and moving as she stepped through. As soon as she stepped onto the stone, she could hear the barrier repairing itself behind her.

She looked back and saw Wynonna standing at the edge of the stairs. “Waverly! You get down here right this instant! I’ll take you to Hot Topic and everything!”

“I’ll be back,” Waverly said, turning back to finish climbing the stairs. She could hear Wynonna but she sounded far away, and her eyes only remained at the door at the top of the stairs. When Waverly got to the top, she put her hand on the door and slowly pushed it open. She was met with a blinding light and a horrible screeching sound, but pressed on.

***

Nicole felt like she was floating.

She tried to think of a moment, trying to remember what was happening before this. There was pain and then...nothing.

Her eyes slowly blinked open, but there was just light. Like she was surrounded by it. Her body didn’t hurt anymore. In fact, she felt like she couldn’t feel her body at all. She looked down and saw that she was just wrapped in a cloth from her breasts down to her thighs, just barely covering her.

“I’m dead,” she remembered, sitting up and looking around for some sign of...anything. She thought about the French countryside...Waverly in a soft cotton dress and...fire. “I died...for Waverly.”

“Nicole.”

Waverly looked up again and saw a tall, buff looking man with blue eyes and sandy hair looking at her. He was wearing what looked like a toga, wings coming from his back and light shining around him.

“I’m dead,” Nicole said to him.

He nodded. “You’re dead. But...someone came for you.”

He stepped to the side and Waverly was standing there in a hospital gown that looked a little worse for the wear. Nicole’s heart expanded in excitement and she smiled widely. Waverly’s smile matched her own and Waverly ran towards her, dropping to her knees in front of Nicole and throwing her arms around her neck. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist, holding her tightly before pulling away and frowning. 

“Wait...are you dead too?” she asked.

Waverly shook her head. “I’m an angel...remember?” she said with a small smile. “This is my dad by the way. I can be here.” Waverly nodded shyly towards the man. “Julian.”

“Yeah, but not for long,” Julian said. “As it is only one of you can leave.”

Nicole felt a mild panic before squeezing Waverly tighter. “Did you come to say goodbye?”

“I came to get you out,” Waverly said. “I’m staying. I have to stay. If I go back-” Waverly’s face fell and she licked her lips. “They did it, Nicole, they made me turn. I felt this...power. It felt like nothing I’d ever felt before it was-...amazing. But if I go back I don’t know what I’ll do. It was amazing but terrifying. I could only feel the power...the anger.”

Nicole shook her head, refusing to believe it. “You’re good, Waverly.”

“No, you’re good,” Waverly said, shaking Nicole a little. “You sacrificed yourself. And that’s why I have to stay and you have to go.”

“Waverly...no,” Nicole said with a frown. “I’m not letting you do this. I’m not letting you die-”

“I wouldn’t be dying!” Waverly insisted, eyes shining with tears. “I would just...stay. And protect the garden with Julian and...wait for you.”

Nicole smiled sadly, shaking her head with a refusal on her tongue before Waverly kissed her gently, stopping her.

“Waves-”

“Nicole,” Waverly interrupted. “I’ve already waited ten years for you. Remember? And before that I suppose I-...was waiting my whole life for you.” She shrugged, eyes shining. “And even though all these shitballs things have happened to us I realized that I would wait forever for you. As long as in the end, I’m with you...then I can wait for as long as you need.”

There were tears streaming down Nicole’s face and she cupped the side of Waverly’s neck. Waverly’s fingers wove into the hair on the back of Nicole’s head and pulled their foreheads together. Their breath mixed together, a kind of hollow sadness that came with hopelessness. Nicole’s chest was empty, the pressure behind her eyes heavy with tears and she just wanted to hold Waverly and not let go.

“I don’t want to leave you,” Nicole said, kissing the end of Waverly’s nose. “I just got you.”

“I’ll be here...waiting,” Waverly said with a small smile. “I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. I promise.”

“I don’t want to be fine. I want to be with you,” Nicole said firmly.

“We can’t both go back,” Waverly said, but Nicole wasn’t sure. 

There had to be a way. There was no way the universe could throw them together like this just to rip them apart before they could really live together. To wake up next to each other and have absolutely nothing happen to them. To live just normal - well - vaguely normal lives.

Julian stepped forward, interrupting the little bubble they had made for themselves. He looked down, clearing his throat.

“There may be...one way,” he said, eyes flitting between the two of them. Nicole looked up but refused to pull away from Waverly. She wouldn’t be an inch away from her if she was about to be ripped from her arms. But her heart fluttered in hope at Julian’s words.

“What is it?” Waverly said, voice small.

“Give up your angel half,” Julian said. “It’s the only way you can return without destroying.”

The little hope that Nicole had came crashing to the ground. She could never ask Waverly to get rid of a part of herself. It wasn’t right. She could never ask that of anyone.

“I’ll do it,” Waverly said easily.

Nicole shook her head. “Waves-”

“What?” she asked, brow furrowed.

“You can’t do that,” Nicole said.

“Why not?”

“That’s...part of you,” Nicole said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Waverly pulled back a little bit to frown at Nicole. “A part of myself I didn’t even know about until a few months ago,” Waverly pointed out. “And plus, Nicole, it’s my choice if I want to leave that part of myself behind. And I do. I’ll do it for you. I love you.”

Nicole licked her lips, heart pounding in her chest at Waverly’s declaration. Happiness filled her chest and she jolted forward to press her lips to Waverly’s. She felt Waverly smile against her lips and they pulled each other closer.

“I love you too,” Nicole barely breathed between kisses. “So so much.”

Julian cleared his throat and they both blushed, Nicole reluctantly pulled away with a small smile. She winked at Waverly before they both looked at Julian.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” he said with his own smile.

Waverly nodded. “That’s a yes.”

Julian put his hand on Waverly’s shoulder with a nod. “It won’t be easy. Some say the angels who give up their holiness never feel full again. And that they spend the rest of their lives looking for purpose. Your immortality will be gone too.”

“The other angels...why did they give it up?” Waverly asked.

“For love, mostly,” Julian admitted. “So maybe their lives had purpose after all.”

“I’m ready to go back,” Waverly said, her hand slipping from Nicole’s hair and finding her hand instead. 

“Are you sure?” Nicole asked again.

Waverly squeezed her hand and smiled. “I’m more than sure.”

Nicole let out a shaky breath, relief flooding her. “Then let’s go, Waverly Earp.”

Waverly winked at Nicole as Julian came up and stood next to them. He knelt next to Waverly and nodded, gesturing for her to turn towards him. She did, hand still in Nicole’s as he placed a hand over Waverly’s heart.

“Alright. Are you ready?” 

Waverly nodded. “Ready.”

Julian put his hand over Waverly’s heart and started chanting under his breath. Nicole could see Waverly’s heart start to glow, practically beaming out of her chest as her face twisted with pain. She squeezed Waverly’s hand as she watched her face turn red with exertion.

“Waverly?” Nicole said in concern before everything went black in an all too familiar way.

***

Waverly came to with a jolt. Her heart was pounding loudly in her eardrums as she looked around the room. At first she was confused, trying to place her surroundings. After a moment and the familiar scent of her detergent, Waverly realized she was in her room. She let out a small sigh of relief before the panic overtook again.

“Nicole!” Waverly shouted, throwing the covers off of her and swinging her legs out of the bed. “Nicole!”

She ran on wobbly legs towards her bedroom door, throwing it open to run out but ended up running into Wynonna instead.

“Woah, hold your horses there, baby girl,” Wynonna said, holding Waverly by her shoulders as she regained her footing. “Where are you going?”

“Nicole,” was all Waverly could manage, eyes wide.

Wynonna smiled. “She’s downstairs sleeping. Don’t worry. She’s all snuggled in my bed and everything. And as soon as she wakes up she’s washing the sheets-”

Before Wynonna could even finish, Waverly was pulling herself from Wynonna’s arms and running down the stairs. She went straight for the nook Wynonna had claimed as her room. Pulling back the curtain around the space, she saw Nicole sitting up slowly in the bed. 

Waverly’s heart was light with relief as she threw herself onto Nicole, knocking her back onto the bed. Nicole fell back with an ‘oomph’, hands automatically finding Waverly’s waist. Below the layers of happiness and relief, Waverly remembered that they...technically had never met in real life. She pulled back with a jerk, eyes wide as she sat on the bed between Nicole’s legs.

Nicole propped herself up on her elbows, an embarrassed smile on her face. Waverly noticed she was wearing some of Wynonna’s sleep shorts and a tank top and she blushed.

“Hey,” Nicole said softly.

“Hey,” Waverly said, tucking some hair behind her ear.

They just stared at each other for a moment before they realized they were both staring and blushing. Waverly looked down, clearing her throat and Nicole smiled wider.

“So.”

“So.”

Nicole traced a pattern in the sheets with her fingers. “What do you remember?”

Waverly watched Nicole’s hand. “Um...everything.”

“Me too,” Nicole whispered. “All the good...all the bad. We did...so many impossible things.”

“All the impossible things were true,” Waverly said.

Waverly tilted her head and looked back at Nicole as she sat up, bringing their faces close. Her eyes darted down to Nicole’s lips.

“You died,” Waverly said. 

“You turned evil,” Nicole countered.

Waverly raised a challenging eyebrow. “You were a serial killer.”

Nicole sighed, smile falling as she looked down at her lap. Waverly put a finger under her chin and tilted Nicole’s face back up. Her brown eyes were dark, a storm behind them that Waverly could feel in her gut. There were a lot of good memories...but she mostly remembered the pain. The years she’d been waiting for Nicole. The years she thought Nicole was a killer. About to die. When she did die...

“Hey,” Waverly said, hoping to chase some of the clouds away. “We should talk about it. But not...now.”

Nicole nodded, eyes lightening a little. “Not now.”

Her hands started at Waverly’s knees and slowly moved up her thighs to her hips. 

“You know what I remember the most?” Waverly asked.

“What?” Nicole asked, one hand gently pushing some of Waverly’s hair behind her ear. Waverly’s entire body erupted in goosebumps at the touch and she leaned into it.

“I remember...every time you said you loved me,” Waverly said, cheeks tinting.

Nicole smiled brilliantly. “And I remember every time you said you loved me.”

“Do you still...love me?” Waverly asked quietly.

“More than anything,” Nicole said quickly. 

“And I still love you,” Waverly said, fingers tracing the side of Nicole’s face. 

They sat in silence for a moment, just drinking each other in. Nicole still smelled like vanilla dipped donuts and she could swear her skin was even softer than in her dreams. She leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Nicole’s lips. Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut, lips perked in anticipation for more before she opened one eye and smiled at Waverly.

“Waverly.”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you again?”

Waverly didn’t answer, instead she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Nicole’s. She relished the way Nicole’s strong arms wrapped around her and drew her closer, their bodies flush together, skin warm. And Waverly knew it was all worth it. Everything would always be worth it for this.

Julian talked about angels giving up their divinity being devoid of purpose. Of feeling...useless. But sitting here, Nicole’s lips on hers...Waverly had never felt anything like this. She’d never felt so full and so…seen. Even when she was still an angel. And she knew that this - being with Nicole, starting their life together...this was her purpose. And it was more than enough.

_I took the stars from our eyes,_  
_and then I made a map_  
_And knew that somehow I could find my way back_  
_Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too_  
_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Follow me on the twitter! I'll be posting a new Christmas fic soon so give it a read if you're interested. Thank you again <3](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


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